We're All In This Together
by MikennaPorter
Summary: This is set nearly twenty years from where High School Musical left off. See what happened to the Wildcats, this is mostly about Troy and Gabriella, though. It is told in the point of view of their oldest daughter, and it follows her through her senior year. I know that I am not the best at summaries, but check it out!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One:**  
>I wake up in the morning the same old same old routine. Get dressed grab some breakfast and then go to school. Well this year is going to be different. How you might ask? Well today is the start of my senior year at East High. The same school that both of my parents graduated from. If you are thinking that I am under a lot of pressure you would be right. It s not like my mom was the super genius in the school, or that my dad was the basketball star that led East High to win back to back championships two years in a row. Oh, wait that is me. Anyways you get the point. I m the daughter of Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez, both of which are amazingly successful. It is too much pressure.<br>My dad up until last year played for the Heat. He suffered a pretty bad blow to his knees and had surgery and extensive therapy to strengthen both of his knees. But he now just recruits players and still does all the publicity junk. I m not complaining but imagine the pressure that I am under when it comes to basketball. And my mom, well she is a lawyer at an amazing law firm. She went to Stanford and well she is a super genius, but surprisingly my parents don t put any pressure on me, I already do that myself.  
>So as you can see that's my life. Normal and ordinary, ok not so much. And then there are the pesky brothers I forgot to mention. Well I have three brothers. All of them are younger than me, and super irritating at times. First there is my oldest brother Zachary. He is fourteen years old, and in eighth grade. He is probably the nicest of my brothers. He and I get along really well. He, like myself does well in school and plays basketball pretty well. I could see him one day going pro. Anyhow he is not the average younger brother, I really do enjoy hanging out with him, and he doesn't bug me to the point of exasperation, not yet anyhow.<br>Then there are the other two. Well the next one is actually Zachary's twin brother. His name is Caleb. He is the complete opposite of Zach. He does irritate me sometimes, but it s because he thinks that he is just like me, but doesn't seem to realize that he is still in middle school. It is hard to be the oldest, but I do my best at it anyhow. Caleb, is one of those brother s that even though he might bring me to the point of exasperation, he is a good kid. Then there s my youngest brother, Zander. Well, Zander, we call him Zane for short. Anyhow he is the typical sixth grader. He thinks that he can rule the world, just because he is in middle school. Boys, they really can be annoying. Anyhow he is a mix of Zach and Caleb.  
>Really I do love my brother s even when they irritate me to my breaking point. What can I say, they are really sweet brothers, and I at least have it better than some of my friends.<br>I then start getting ready. Today, like I have said before is the start of my senior year. It's make it or break it time. I then put on the perfect outfit and put on a thin layer of makeup. I then go downstairs. Once I get down there I hear the voices of my parents. I then go into the kitchen to get some coffee.  
>"Good morning, Jessie."My mom says.<p>

"Good morning."I say.

"I can't believe that she is a senior." My dad says.

"Well, she had to grow up at some point." My mom says.

"Yeah, I guess so." I say.

"Well the good thing is that you have been practicing all summer for basketball season." My dad says.

"Yeah." I say."Hopefully I can land a couple of scholarships."

"And maybe make it into the WNBA."My dad adds.

"Dad, I don't think that I want to do that." I say.

"Well, at least keep your options open." He says. "It would be good for you to get into to it at least."

"We'll see." I say.

"Alright." He says. "Would you do me a favor and make sure your brother's are up. I don t want them to be late."

"Ok." I say.

I then go back upstairs to my brother's rooms. When I walk into Zach and Caleb s room, I am very careful. First off, I don t want to trip over their mess, and two it is really dark in here. I then go over to Caleb s bed. I shove him to wake up.

"Mom, five more minutes." He says sleepily.

"One it's not mom, and two you need to wake up it is already seven o clock." I say.

"Then who are you?" He asks

"Jessie." I say.

"Oh." He says. "I guess I better get up."

"Yeah, you might want to." I say. " Do you know where Zach is?"

"No." He says.

"Ok, well thanks for the help."I say sarcastically. I then walk out of the room, and walk into Zane's room. When I walk in, he is just standing in his room with his boxers on.

"Get out!" He yells.

"Sorry." I say. I then walk out. As I back out of his room, I run right into Zach. "I'm so sorry."

"You're good." He says with a laugh. "I probably should've warned you that Zane would be in his boxers."

"Yeah, that might have been a good idea, but it's alright." I say. "I changed his diapers. "

"Ok, but he seemed to care." He says.

"Yeah, I think that the whole world knows." I say.

"It's too bad that we won't be at East High together." He says.

"Yeah, but this way you are at the top in middle school." I say.

"True." He says.

"I didn't think about that. Plus, you and Caleb will have East High all to yourselves, until Zane is old enough to come there." I say.

"Yeah." He says.

"Alright, you have to leave in like thirty minutes."I say.

"Are you taking us?" He asks.

"I can, but you have to be ready in thirty minutes, because I have to be at school by eight fifteen, and if I have to drop you guys off, we ll have to hurry." I say.

"Ok, I ll spread the word." He says. I then walk into my room and grab a bag and a couple of other things that I will need for school. I then walk down the stairs and go into the kitchen and start making a smoothie. I then pour the mixture into a cup and take a sip of it.

"I don't see how all you eat for breakfast is a smoothie." Zach says.

"Well, she is a girl." My mom says.

"Besides, I like smoothies." I say.

"What did you put in it?" He asks.

"Fruit, and juice." I say. " Do you want some, you can have what s left in the blender?"

'Sure, I ll try some." He says. He then gets out a glass and pours the rest of the smoothie mixture into the cup. He then takes a sip.

"So what do you think?" I ask.

"It's pretty good." He says.

"See, I told you." I say with a smile. A little time goes by and then I leave to take my brothers to school.  
>When I reach the middle school, I drop them off.<p>

"Jess, who s picking us up?" Caleb asks.

"Dad, should be." I say. "Otherwise you will have to wait a while."

"Ok, I ll text him to find out." He says. "I'll let you know if you need to pick us up."

"Ok, hope you guys have a great day." I say.

"You too." Zach says. I then drive off. I then head over to my school which is about a ten minute drive depending on traffic. This morning, I think that it is going to be much worse.  
>I am stuck siting through three red lights before I am able to turn into my school. When I get there I pull into a parking space and walk into the school. When I get to the entrance, I see Chris standing there with two cups of coffee in his hand.<br>"Hey, I thought that you were never going to show up." He says.

"I'm sorry, I had to drop off my brothers." I say. "And the traffic was horrendous."

"Well, I got you some coffee." He says. He then hands me a cup.

"Thanks." I say. "You are the best, best friend in the history of best friends."

"You're welcome, but we were destined to be best friends." He says.

"True, but just because our parents are great friends didn't mean that we had to." I say. "other than the fact that we have known each other since we were in diapers."

"Yeah, exactly." He says.

"I guess it was destined for us to be friends." I say with a smile. The bell then rings. "But if we don t get to class we both will be destined for detention." We both laugh and go to our first class of the day.

It is so great to have a friend like Chris, we really have been friends since birth. Our moms would always set play dates up for us. At first I thought that he was so weird but eventually I realized what a great friend he really is, and I think that he would feel the same way.  
>Once school lets out, I go home. I then start on my homework. I don t really have that much, but I knew that I should start it now rather than waiting until two o clock in the morning.<p>

Once I have finished my homework, I go downstairs and see my brothers playing basketball outside on our court. I then walk out there.  
>"Hey, are you guys having fun?" I ask.<p>

"Yeah, do you want to play?" Zane asks.

"I don t know." I say.

"Why not, come on, it would be fun." Caleb says.

"Unless you re afraid that you'll lose." Zach says.

Guys, you all know how competitive I am." I say.

"Which is why you should play." Zach says.

"Alright, but I need to change, I ll be back in two seconds." I say as I run inside the house to change.  
>When I come back, my dad is standing there. "Wait so you guys decided to kick me out of the game?"<p>

"No, dad wanted to play too." Zach says.

"Oh, wait where did Zane go?" I ask.

"He went inside, he said that he had too much homework."Caleb says.

"Poor guy, first day of middle school and he already has homework." I say.

"Are you going to play?" Dad asks.

"Yeah." I say. "Have you all already picked teams?"

"No, we were waiting on you." Caleb says.  
>"Ok, so how about dad and Jess, versus Caleb and me. Zach says Wait that isn't fair." Caleb says.<br>"How?" Zach asks.

"She has dad." Caleb says.

"But she s a girl." Zach says.  
>"True, we should be able to beat them." Caleb says.<p>

"Are you two girls ready to play?" I ask.

"You're the only girl out here." Caleb says.

"I know that." I say. We then start the game. At first, they kind of go easy on us until they remember that I play pretty well and, dad even with hurt knees is still really good. They then press us just a little bit harder. In the end we beat them.

"Good job, Jess." My dad says.

"Thanks dad, you did really well out there too." I say.

"Well the only reason that you won, was because you had a pro on your team." Caleb says.

"You guys have to remember I'm not as young as I used to be." Dad says.

"I had forgotten that Jess has been playing since she could walk." Caleb says.

"Yeah well, y'all did too." I say.

"She does have a point." Zach says. "We all then go inside. Mom is in the kitchen fixing dinner."

"Mom, do you need any help?" I ask.

"No, I think I've got it, thank you though." She says.

"I could use some company though. Ok, how was your day?" I ask.

"It was work." She says. "How was your day?"

"Mom, it was school." I say. "It wasn't all that bad I suppose."

"Well, that's good." She says. "East High is a great school, I'm glad that you were able to go there."

"Me too." I say.

"Maybe you'll meet your true love, like I did." She says.

"But you met him at a ski lodge." I say.

"Yeah, but it was fate that I just happened to move here and go to the same school as your father." She says.

"It is sort of magical. I love hearing about how you met." I say. "I think that it is sweet."

"Me too." She says. "I hope that you find someone just as great if not better than your father."

"That might be hard to do. My dad says.

"Troy". "Mom says.

"What, it's the truth. He says You are too full of yourself, Troy Bolton." Mom says. He then kisses her.  
>"I remember when you would yell out gross every time we would kiss in front of you." He says.<p>

"Yeah, well what can I say, I m growing up dad." I say.

"That you are." He says. "Man, it feels like just yesterday, you were a little girl and now you re a senior in high school."

"It was bound to happen one day." I say.

"That is true, Troy." Mom says. "She can t stay a little girl forever."

"Well, at least she hasn't dated any guys yet." Dad says.

"Dad, I think that most guys are terrified of you." I say.

"They probably are, and they should be, I don t want anyone to hurt my little girl, no matter how old you become."He says.

"It's good to know that someone has my back." I say.

"I think that we all have your back." Zach says.

"You guys are so crazy." I say.

"Well, we are a crazy family." Caleb says.

"True." I say.


	2. Chapter 2

So here's the next chapter of my story. I hope that you all enjoy :)

I do not own High School Musical.

Thank you to all of you that have read my story so far, it makes me happy!

* * *

><p>Chapter Two:<p>

It feels like just yesterday that I started my senior year. I then look at my phone, and the date is October 16, man its already been a month. People weren't kidding when they said that senior year flew by really fast. I then walk into the school and go to my locker. I then grab out a notebook and then gently shut it. As I close it I see Chris appear out of no where. I jump just a little.  
>"Did I scare you?" He asks.<br>"No, more like startled me." I say.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." He says with a smile.

"It's fine." I say with a smile.

"Can I walk you to class?" He asks.

"I don't know, can you?" I ask.

"That's what I just asked." He says. I roll my eyes and walk off. He quickly follows behind me. "Good grief, Jess, you walk really fast."

"I have long legs." I say.

"A minute ago, were you trying to correct my grammar?" He asks.

"Yes, the correct way to phrase the question would be may I." I say.

"Oh, I'm wish I was a genious like you are." He says.

"You are smart, Chris." I say.

"Says the girl that makes straight A's and barely studies." He says.

"I do study." I say. "But I also pay attention in class."

"I do too." He says.

"I never said that you didn't." I say. We then walk into our first period class, drama. I still cannot understand why I decided to take the class, but at least it is an easy A.

The teacher, Ms. Darbus, an eccentric woman with light blonde hair and glasses, walks to the front of the classroom. "Good morning students, today I decided to let you all have a study hall, since tomorrow is the auditions for the musical. I hope that each and everyone of you will consider auditioning for a part." She then walks off to her desk and everyone goes back to talking to each other. "So, why do you think that she is so persistent on having people audition?" Chris asks.  
>"I don't know, maybe there are a lot of parts this year." I say.<br>"Well, I know that I for one will not be auditioning for the musical." He says.  
>"Why not?" I ask.<br>"Seriously, think about it." He says.

"I don't want to spend all my free afternoons having to sing show tunes. Besides, basketball season is about to start up."

"True, but I think that she gives out extra credit." I say.

"But this class is pretty easy." He says.  
>"True, but extra credit always helps." I say.<br>"I can't even sing." He says.  
>"Well, I wouldn't know because you won't sing in public." I say.<br>"True, but neither will you." He says.  
>"I am shy, I have an excuse. What's yours?" I say.<br>"I don't want to." He says.  
>"I guess that is a valid point." I say. "Well, I don't know about you, but I am going to put this study hall to use. I have a chemistry test today."<p>

"Ok, well I'll leave you alone so that you can study." He says.

"Ok." I say. I then pull out my AP chemistry book out of my book bag and start re-reading the chapter.  
>Before I know it, class is over. I then clean up my stuff and head onto the rest of my classes that I have today. The rest of the day drags by ever so slowly, and finally after the painfully slow day is I go out to the parking lot and get in my car to go home. I then glance at my phone and see that I have a text from my dad. It says 'Could you pick your brothers up for me?' I then send back 'Sure'. I then head over to the middle school, which is about a five minute drive. When I get there, I see Zane standing in the parking lot. "Hey, buddy, I hope you weren't waiting too long." I say.<p>

"I thought that dad was picking me up." He says as he gets in the car.

"Me too." I say. "But he must have had a change of plans."

"Zach, said that he has going to find Caleb." He says. "He was probably flirting with some girls."

"You're probably right." I say.

"Oh, there they are now." Zane says.

"Jess, I thought-" Caleb starts saying.  
>"That dad was going to pick you up?" I say.<br>"Yeah, how did you know that I was going to say that?" He asks.  
>"Woman's intution, no just kidding." I say. " Zane actually told me." Then both Caleb and Zach get into the car. I then leave the school and head on home. Once we are at the house, I go into my room and begin working on homework. It takes a while to get through some of the Calculus, but eventually I finish up. I then start on the rest of my homework. I then hear a knock on the door. "Come in." I say. Then Zach walks into my room.<br>"Are you busy?" He asks.  
>"Not really." I say. "What do you need?"<p>

"I needed a little bit of advice, but it can wait." He says.

"No, it's fine, I needed a break anyways." I say.

"Ok, so there's this girl at school, named Hannah, she is beautiful and so smart, and I really like her." He says. "But I can't tell if she likes me back."  
>"Well, how does she act around you?" I ask.<br>"She always is smiling and laughing." He says. "She seems to enjoy being around me."

"It sounds like she might like you." I say. "I think that you should ask her out."

"I don't know, what if she says no." He says.

"Fine, then how about you hang out with her outside of school, to get to know her a little bit better, and let fate bring you together." I say.

"I like that idea better." He says. "Besides, I can't drive yet anyhow."  
>"Oh, yeah, I keep forgetting that." I say.<p>

"Yeah, and you're supposed to be the smart one." He says.

"Hey." I say.

"I was joking." He says.

"Sure you were." I say. "Do you have her number?"

"No." He says.

"Why not?" I ask.

"I haven't asked her." He says.

"Well, you should, that also helps break the ice." I say.

"Ok, thank you for the advice." He says.

"It's no problem, I just want everything to turn out well for you." I say with a smile.

"You really are a good sister." He says.

"Thanks, you're a good brother too." I say.

"Thanks." He says. "So how's your love life going?"

"Same as always." I say.

"I'm surprised that you and Chris aren't together yet." He says.

"We are just friends." I say. "But the way that you two act around each other is more than friendly." He says.

"Well, you are more observant than I give you credit for." I say.

"Thanks." He says. He then gets up from my bed, and starts to walk off. "But, just so you know, I think that you and Chris should date."

"We'll see, but I don't think that, that will happen." I say. He then leaves the room. The thought of Chris and I dating, that seems bizarre, we have been friends for as long as I can remember. We've been through everything together, but I don't really think that it would be wise for us to date, it would probably mess up our friendship anyhow, and I for one, wouldn't want that. It just isn't worth it for the two of us to be together. He deserves someone much better than me. I don't even deserve someone like him. He is too good for me.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

Basketball, basketball, basketball. That's all that everyone in my house, besides my mom, has been talking about for the past few days. My dad keeps asking me if I am going to tryout. I know that in the end I will.  
>Every single season, I say that I will not play the next and I end up doing it anyhow. I guess I am destined to play, since my dad was in the NBA and also that he coaches for my school. It just makes it worse for me anyhow.<br>I walk down the stairs to the kitchen where my whole family is at eating breakfast. "So, Jess, have you decided what you are going to do?" My dad asks.  
>"I don't know, I guess that I probably will end up playing." I say.<p>

"Well, even if you change your mind, it would do you good to at least come to tryouts." He says. "I am not going to just give you a spot on the team."

"Wait, you're coaching the girl's team this year?" I ask.

"Yeah, I was asked if I wanted to, and I thought with it being your last season, that I should go ahead and do it." He says.

"Ok, well that's no pressure." I say sarcastically.

"But, really Jess if you don't want to play, don't just play because I am the coach." He says.

"I know, I just need to think about it." I say.

"What is there to think about?" Caleb asks. "I didn't even have to think about it, it was a done deal for me."

"It's just, it's my last year of high school." I say. "I've been playing for almost fifteen years, even when it was just for fun."

"It can be easy to get burned out from playing." My mom adds.

"But, it's just so fun." Caleb says.

"Well, I know that I'm not playing in the pro's anyhow." I say. "But I'll at least come to tryouts today."

"That's my girl." My dad says. For the next little bit we all engage in small talk. Zane tells us all about how he has a huge history test today, and Caleb just has to one up him, which is completely unnecessary, but my brother's all have act like life has to be a competition. I think that it is kind of funny. I just sit back and listen to them, even though it's kind of obnoxious, they are family and I love them very much.

"Well, as much as I would just love to sit here all day, we all have things that we need to do." My mom says.

"What time is it?" Zach asks.

"Eight o'clock." She says.

"I guess that we need to be leaving." Caleb says.

"No, we have all day." Zach says sarcastically. "Yes, of course we need to get going."

"Come on guys." Dad says. "I'll take you to school." Then dad and my brother's leave the house.

"So what time do you have to go to work?" I ask.

"I don't have to be there until nine." She says. "But don't you need to be leaving?"

"Not yet, school doesn't start until eight thirty for me." I say. "I have a few minutes."

"Ok, just don't be late." She says.

"I won't, don't worry." I say.

"So have you decided where you are applying for college?" She asks.

"I was thinking Stanford, and a few others, but I really was hoping Stanford." I say.

"Well, I am honored that you are considering going to my Alma mater." She says.

"Yeah, I have the application almost filled out, I just have a little bit more to finish." I say.

"Well, I hope that you can get in." She says.

"Me too." I say with a smile. "It would be an awesome opportunity."

"It really would be." She says. "And if you need any help, let me know."

"I will." I say with a smile. "Well, I need to get to school, I'll see you later."

"Alright, I hope that you have a good day." She says. "You too." I say. I then walk out of the house and get in my car to head to school. The school day goes by surprisingly pretty fast, and before I know it, it is time for basketball tryouts. I am so dreading going to them. People at these tryouts have been pretty competitive and just plain out mean for many seasons, but with my dad being the coach this season, I have a feeling that it will be worse. I know that every girl will want to play, since for some reason every girl at school goes on and on about how cute my dad is. He's forty for crying out loud, he isn't actually young, but he isn't really all that old either. I make my way to the locker room to change into some clothes that I can play basketball in. The locker room is full of girls, some of which I honestly don't think can play basketball. Or at least I have never seen them play. A girl with fake blonde hair walks over to me and says "So, is it true that Troy Bolton is the new basketball coach this year?"

"Yes, Veronica." I say with a smile.

"It's really cool having a retired pro basketball player as our coach this year." She says.

"It really is." I say. She is so annoying, and fake. She will act like she likes you, just for a moment to get what she wants. I know for sure that she has never played basketball before. I know three years ago, I asked her about playing, and she said that she never wanted to touch a basketball. She also proceeded to say that she didn't want to have to sweat. So I am really surprised that she decided to play this season. A few minutes pass by, and then I walk into the gym where I see my dad, and Chad, his best friend since forever, standing near the bleachers. I then decide to walk over to them. "What are you doing here Chad?" I ask.

"I decided to help your dad out, besides I always look for any opportunity to play basketball." He says.

"True." I say with a smile. I then look at my dad and say "So are there a lot of girl's trying out?"

"Yeah." He says. "On my list there are twenty, but I have a feeling that there will be more than that."

"Yeah, so what are you going to do, most of these girls as far as I know have never played before." I say.

"I don't know, I was thinking about giving them a chance at least, but really I will probably only be taking the girls that are really good." He says.

"And besides, you only need fifteen for a team anyhow, so I would say cut the ones that are pathetic and keep the ones that are either good, or you see potential in them." Chad says.

"That's easier to do, when you aren't the one dealing with a bunch of girls getting mad at you." Dad says.

"You could let Jess break the news." Chad says.

"How about no." I say.

"Why not, they would probably be less mad at you." Chad says.

"I sincerely doubt that." I say.

"Yeah, most of those girls won't listen to anyone anyways." Dad says. "I know, because I teach a few of them."

"Well, maybe they all won't be horrible." Chad says. "Let's hope not." Dad says.

"What's taking those girl's so long?"

"They were touching up their makeup when I was in the locker room." I say.

"Oh, great, their makeup will end up getting messed up anyhow." Chad says.

"Exactly." Dad says. A few minutes later, we start practice. "Alright, I need a show of hands, how many of you have played basketball before." My dad says. Only about ten out of nearly forty girls raise their hand. "Alright, those of you will come with me, except for Jessica." He then motions for me to come over to him. "I need you to do me a favor." "What is it?" I ask.  
>"I need both you and Chad to work with the other girls, because there are a bunch of them, and I know that Chad won't be able to handle it by himself." He says.<br>"Don't you have an assistant?" I ask.

"Not yet, they are working on finding me one, I told Principal Reynolds not to even worry about it, because I knew that if I needed to, I could just let you run the practices or whatever." He says.

"Ok, well I guess that you have the easy job." I say.  
>"Not really." He says.<br>"Ok, whatever." I say. I then run over to the other end of the court with Chad and the other girls that are trying out. "So, your dad told you, that I needed some help didn't he." Chad says.  
>"Yes, but if you really don't need me, it's fine. " I say.<br>"No, I actually told him that I wanted you to help me." He says.  
>"Oh, ok." I say. The rest of the practice goes by, and a few of the girls were actually pretty good, especially considering they had very little experience playing. There were of course, some players that were not the best. I guess that they have to start from somewhere. "Alright, we will try to have the list posted tomorrow for those who made the team." Chad says. The girls then walk off. "So what did you think?"<p>

"Well, there were about ten of them, that really were pretty good." I say. "They definitely wouldn't be starters, but they are also freshmen so they have room for improvement."

"Yeah, I think that our job is done." He says. "I'll just need to talk with your dad about it."

"Alright, well I am going to go home, I have some homework that I need to be working on." I say.

"I wish that you would rub off on Chris." He says.

"He really isn't that bad of a student." I say.

"But it's a pain to get him to do his homework." He says.

"Well, not everyone enjoys school." I say.  
>"You have got that one right." Chad says.<br>"Well, I'll see you later." I say.  
>"See yah." He says. I then grab my gym bag and go out to my car. The ride home is short, and there really isn't any traffic, I make it home in ten minutes. I then walk in the door and go upstairs and take a shower. A while later, after I have finished my homework. I go downstairs and see my brother's playing video games, I then walk over to the kitchen and see my mom making dinner. "Do you need any help?" I ask.<br>"I'm fine, but you are more than welcome to stay in here and keep me company." She says.  
>"Sounds good to me." I say.<br>"So how did tryouts go?" She asks.  
>"They went fine." I say as I get a bottle of water out of the refrigerator.<p>

"That's good, so do you think that the team will be any good?" She asks.

"Well, Lindsey, Brooke, Maddie, and Peyton all decided that they weren't playing this year." I say.

"Why?" She asks.

"They were really good." "They told me that they were burned out." I say.

"That's too bad, so out of the ones that tried out, were any of them good?" She asks.

"We had a bunch of new players, and about a third of them were really good, but other than that, not really." I say.

"That's really too bad." She says. "I was hoping that you would have a really good team this year, especially with it being your senior year and all."

"Well, maybe despite talent, we will still do well." I say.

"Well, at least you are being optimistic, that's a good thing." She says.

"I try to be." I say with a smile.

"I wonder what your dad will end up saying." She says.

"I don't know." I say. "He worked with the good players, and let Chad and me work with the ones that have little to no experience."

"Oh, well, then I guess that his part went well then." She says.

"Yeah, most likely." I say. "Well, how about tonight, you finish up your application to Stanford." She says.  
>"I am almost finished with it." I say. "I just wish that I had a few more extra curricular classes that I could add to it, to make it better." I say.<br>"Sweet heart, you already so much as it is." She says.  
>"I know, but the more you have on there the better that it looks." I say.<br>"Well, you can fill out what you have, and just see what they have to say." She says. "Alright, I will." I say. "Good, and if I haven't ever told you this, I am so proud of the young lady that you have become." She says.  
>"Thanks, mom." I say as I give her a hug.<br>"It's no problem." She says. It makes me feel good knowing that my mom is proud of me, I mean she has done so much, and she is so brilliant, I feel so dumb when I am around her, but yet she is proud of me. That seems crazy to me! A little while later, I walk outside to get some fresh air, and I see Chris pull into my driveway. He then parks and gets out and comes over to where I am standing. "What are you doing here?" I ask.  
>"I just wanted to stop by, and see you." He says.<br>"Well, how about we come inside, it's a little bit chilly." I say. We then walk inside the house. We then go down to the basement that we turned into a game room.

"So, I didn't see you that much today." He says.

"Sorry, I had basketball tryouts." I say.  
>"I know, I just missed hanging out with you today." He says.<br>"I did too." I say. "We'll have to do something tomorrow after school then."

"Yeah, how about we go and get coffee." He says.

"I think that that would be a great idea." I say.

"Yeah, so you made the team didn't you?" He asks.

"Probably, I honestly don't know." I say.

"My dad said that you had to show a bunch of people how to play." He says.

"Yeah, more than half of the girls at try outs today, didn't know how to play, or weren't all that great at basketball." I say.

"Sounds like fun." He says. "Fortunately we don't have try outs until next week."

"That's good, I have a feeling that some of the girls will have to go to try outs tomorrow, so they can decide how to cut from the bad ones." I say.

"I feel bad for your dad." He says.

"Me too." I say. We then talk for a while, and before we know it, it is ten o'clock.

"Well, I probably should get going." He says.

"I wish that you didn't have to leave." I say.

"Me too, but we have school tomorrow." He says.

"I know, well I'll see you later." I say.

"Bye, Jess." He says. He then gives me a hug and leaves. I really enjoy spending with him, he makes me really happy when I am around him. I feel like everything in the world is so much better when I am with him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:**

The next of school goes by fast. I find out that I made the team, and I then go to the parking lot to meet Chris. "Are you ready to go?" He asks.  
>"Yeah." I say.<br>"I'll drive, so that we can spend more time together." He says.  
>"Are you sure?" I ask.<br>"Yes, come on." He says. I then walk over to his car, and he opens the door for me.  
>"Thank you." I say.<br>"You're welcome." He says as he closes the door, and gets in himself. We then drive to a coffee shop that is just a little ways down the road.  
>We then go inside, and get in line to order. "I'll have a caramel latte." He says. He then looks at me and says "What do you want?"<br>"I can get mine." I say.  
>"No, i'm getting it." He says.<br>"You don't have to." I say.  
>"I know, I want to." He says.<br>"Alright, I'll have a caramel latte." I say. He pays and we then wait at the counter for our drinks. "So, I heard that you made the team." He says.  
>"Yeah, but I was kind of hoping that I wouldn't." I say.<br>"Why?" He asks.  
>"I wasn't going to go to college for basketball, and I just wanted a year to relax." I say.<br>"I understand that one." He says as he gets our drinks off of the counter. We then find a table and sit down. "I think that my dad is expecting me to follow in his footsteps." "Well, you are really good." I say.  
>"Yeah, but I was thinking about doing something else." He says."I don't care anything about all of that fame. I think that it is kind of annoying."<p>

"I know, before my dad retired, I couldn't go anywhere without someone taking my picture." I say. "Fortunately, it has died down within the last few months.

"I know what you mean, it's crazy how people act." He says.  
>"So what are you thinking about doing?" I ask.<br>"I'm not quite sure, I just want to make a difference in people's lives." He says.  
>"That's awesome." I say.<br>"So what about you?" He asks.  
>"I haven't told anybody else, but I have always wanted to be a doctor." I say.<br>"Wow, that soungs like a great idea." He says. "I know that you will be very good at it."

"Thanks." I say. "I'm just afraid that my dad isn't going to get mad that I'm not playing basketball." "He'll get over it." He says.  
>"Are you sure?" I ask.<br>"Yeah, he's your dad first and foremost and I know that if he really loves you, he'll accept you for what you are." He says.

"That's true." I say.  
>"Yeah, so don't worry about it." He says. "What does your mom think?"<br>"I've briefly talked with her about it." I say. "Mostly we have just talked about going to Stanford."

"Oh, I didn't know that you were thinking about going there." He says.  
>"Yeah, I hadn't told anyone else." I say.<br>"Well, I know that you are definetly smart enough to get in, and I know that it would be a good opportunity for you." He says.  
>"Thanks." I say. "So where are you thinking of going?"<p>

"I'm not sure, I thought about U of A." He says.  
>"That's a good school." I say. "And your dad went there."<p>

"Yeah, he's been trying to talk me into going for years." He says.  
>"But don't do something, just because that's what your dad wants." I say. "You should be able to make your own decisions."<br>"I know, it's just hard to, being the only son in the house, I feel that my dad has this high expectation for me." He says.  
>"Yeah, maybe your parents could have another kid." I say.<br>"Yeah, I highly doubt that will happen." He says.  
>"You never know." I say.<br>"But that wouldn't help anyhow." He says. "Why?" I ask.  
>"I just wouldn't." He says.<br>"Ok." I say with a smile. We continue talking for a while. After a while, we leave the coffee shop and go back to the school so that I can get my car. "Well, I'll see you later." He says.  
>"Alright, see yah." I say. I then get into my car, and drive away. After a little bit I am back at my I walk in, no one is at home. I then go upstairs to my room to work on some homework. Once I am finished I go downstairs, and find that no one is still home, and it's a little after seven. I then walk into the kitchen and see a note on the counter. That says :<br>_Jess, I forgot to tell you that Zane has a soccer game tonight. We should be home around eight. Love you, mom._ Well that explains where they are, I thought. I then go into the living room and put in a movie to watch. At some point during the movie, I fall asleep. After what seems like a short amount of time, I feel a tap on the shoulder. I moan.  
>"Jess, honey, how about you get up and go sleep in your bed." I hear my mom say.<br>"What time is it?" I ask.  
>"It's a little after nine." She says.<br>"Ok, I'll just go to my room." I say. I then get up off the couch and go to my room. I then get all comfy in my bed and go to sleep. I didn't realize how tired I was until I fell right off to sleep. Before I know it, it is six o'clock in the morning and it is time for me to get up. I then get up out of my bed and start getting ready. Once I am ready I go downstairs into the kitchen. I hear a familiar voice in the other room. So I walk in there and see Chris standing there.  
>"Chris, what are you doing here?" I ask. He then gives me a hug and says<p>

"I thought that I would stop by and see my best friend." He says. "Is there a problem with that?"

"No, I just wasn't expecting you to come over." I say. "Do you want anything for breakfast?"

"I've already had something, but thank you." He says.  
>"Do you want some coffee?" I ask.<br>"Sure, I'll come with you." He says. We then walk into the kitchen, and both of us get some coffee. "So, did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, but why are you asking?" I ask.  
>"I don't know, I was just trying to make conversation." He says.<br>"Oh, ok." I say. We both then drink some coffee and we engage in some small talk. Before either of us realize it, we have to go to school. "We probably should get going to school."

"Yeah, I guess that we should." He says. "How about I drive you."

"Ok, I would like that." I say. We then get into his car and go on to the school. A few hours pass by, and school eventually ends. I meet Chris in the parking lot.

"So what do you want to do?" He asks.  
>"It doesn't matter." I say. "If you have something that you need to do, don't feel obligated to hang out with me."<p>

"I want to." He says. "I know that this is probably going to sound lame, but do you want to go to come over to my house, and help me watch Emma."

"I would love too." I say. "You're sister is so sweet."

"Are you sure, you don't have to if you don't want to." He says. "I can take you home."

"No, it would be fun." I say.  
>"Ok, well then, let's go." He says. We then get into his car and go to his house, which isn't too far from the school. When we get to the house, Chris' mom, Taylor is there with Emma. "Hey you two." Taylor says.<br>"Hey Taylor." I say with a smile. She then gives me a hug.  
>"I'm glad that you two got here when you did." She says. "I have to go to work for a little while, and I needed someone to watch Emma."<p>

"Well, that's why I got Jess to help me." Chris says.  
>"Good, and thank you." She says. "I'll ya'll later."<p>

"Alright." I say. She then leaves. Emma then walks over to me and leaps in my arms. "Hey sweet girl."

"Hey, I didn't know that you were coming." She exclaims with glee.

"I didn't know that I was either." I say. "So what do you want to do?"  
>"Would you color with me?" She asks. "Chris never will."<br>"I do sometimes." Chris says.  
>"Of course I will sweet girl." I say with a smile. "Chris, are you going to join us?"<br>"I guess, but I'm not coloring anything with princesses on it." He says.  
>"I'll be right back." Emma says. She then walks off to her room to get something. "My sister, is so embarrassing." He says.<br>"No, she is sweet." I say. "She's just so young."

"True." He says. Emma then walks back into the room with a handful of coloring books and some crayons in her hands. "I didn't bring you a princess coloring book." She says.  
>"Thank you." Chris says. She then hands us each a coloring book and we sit at the table and start coloring. "I don't get how this is fun to you."<p>

"Well, it is. Jess, told me that she likes to color." Emma says.  
>"I'm just doing this because I love you, Emma." He says.<br>"I love you too." She says. We then continue coloring for a little while. I then look at my phone and see a text from my dad saying that he would come get me from Chris' house. "Chris, my dad said that he'll be here in a minute to come get me." I say.  
>"I was hoping that you could stay longer, I could have taken you home." He says.<br>"It's ok, he's already on his way." I say.  
>"Oh, ok." He says.<br>"I'm sorry, I didn't know that he was going to do that." I say.  
>"It's ok." He says. "Can I talk to you in private for a second?"<p>

"Yeah, but we're watching your sister." I say. "She'll be fine for a minute." He says. We then walk off into another room. "So I was wondering, would you like to go on a date with me tomorrow night?"

"Sure, I would love too." I say with a smile. "Really." He says. "I was afraid that you would say no."

"Why would I say no, I have liked you for a while now, and I was hoping that at some point you would ask me out." I say.  
>"That's funny." He says. "I've liked you for a while too, but I was scared to ask you, up until recently did I have the courage to ask you."<p>

"Well, maybe it was just meant to be." I say.  
>"You never know." He says.<br>"So what time are you picking me up?" I ask.  
>"I was thinking about six." He says.<br>"Alright, that sounds like a date." I say. "We probably should go check on Emma."  
>"I guess that you are right." He says. We then walk back to where Emma is at. I then see my dad standing there.<p>

"Perfect timing." Dad says.  
>"Yeah, where were you two?" Emma asks.<br>"We needed to talk, in private." Chris says.  
>"Oh, really." Emma says.<br>"Yes, but now you will have your brother all to yourself." I say.  
>"Yay!" Emma exclaims.<br>"Bye, Chris." I say.  
>"Bye, Jess." He says. "See you tomorrow, at six." "See you tomorrow." I say. Dad and I then leave Chris' house.<br>"So, what's going on between you two?" Dad asks.  
>"Nothing." I say with a smile.<br>"Uh huh." He says.  
>"You're not buying it are you?" I ask.<br>"Yeah, of course I am." He says. "It's not like I can tell when two people like eachother. The only way that I would know that would be if I had fallen in love with someone myself, which I did. So yeah, tell me what's going on." "Fine, he asked me out, and I said yes." I say with a smile.  
>"Well, at least if you are going to go out with someone he's a good guy." He says.<br>"So you're fine with this, right?" I ask.  
>"I guess, I just wasn't expecting you to grow up this quickly." He says.<br>"Dad, you and I both know that no matter how old I get, I will always be your little girl." I say.  
>"I know, and I love hearing you say that." He says. We then pull into our driveway and park in the garage. I walk inside and feel like I am floating on a cloud. I am so excited about finally going out on a date with Chris. It is so great knowing that all this time of liking him, finally paid off! It makes me feel great. I am so happy! I then go up to my room and change into my pajamas.<br>Once I am done, I sit down on my bed. A second or two passes by and I hear a knock on the door. "Come in." I say.  
>"Hey." Zach says. "So, what's making you so happy."<p>

"Nothing, I'm always happy." I say.  
>"Yeah, well I can tell when something good happens in your life, so why don't you just tell me before I figure it out for myself." He says.<br>"Fine, because I know that you will keep on being persistent and driving me super crazy, so Chris asked me out." I say.  
>"It's about time that he did." He says.<br>"Did you know that he was?" I ask.  
>"Yeah, he told me he was thinking about it, but was scared to do, and I told him to go for it." He says.<br>"You are a good brother." I say. "So how are things going with you and Hannah?"

"About the same as they were before." He says.  
>"Oh, that stinks." I say. "Why don't you just go for it, and ask her out."<p>

"Hey, my advice only works in situations like you and Chris." He says.  
>"Well, why didn't you follow my advice?" I ask.<br>"I don't know." He says. "I guess that I was scared to, that's all."

"It's ok, take it slow." I say. "Follow your heart. It usually works out well, trust me."

"And you have had so much experience." He says.  
>"Ok, fine don't listen to me." I say. "Do what you want, I really don't care."<p>

"I was kidding." He says.  
>"Sure." I say with a smile. "I might just see if tomorrow she would like to come over and watch a movie." He says.<br>"That would be an excellent idea, but make sure mom and dad are cool with it before you ask her." I say. "It could make things turn out pretty bad for you."

"I will, don't worry." He says.  
>"Alright." I say.<p>

"Well, I'm getting tired, so I'm going to go to bed." He says.

"Ok, well, I'll see you in the morning." I say. "Goodnight."  
>"Nite." He says. He then leaves my room. I still feel like I am floating on a cloud, I feel awesome! I can't wait for tomorrow!<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys! Thank you so much for reading my story. I would love to hear what you think about it. I had not planned on this chapter being ready so early, but here it is! I hope you all enjoy please r&r :)

* * *

><p>Chapter Five:<p>

I could barely sleep, I guess that I am full of excitement! I am going on my first date in just a few short hours. Finally, after tossing and turning for what seems like hours on end, I decided to get up. I glanced at the clock and it was only six o'clock. In about twelve hours, I will be going out with Chris! I then decide that I will go for a run, so I change into some running clothes and go down the stairs. I look around and see that no one is up, so I leave a note letting everyone know that I am going running and will be back after a little while.  
>I then walk out of the house, and tunr on my watch so that I can track my pace. I then take off, not too slow, or too fast. My breathing is under control and I am running at a steady pace. I can feel the cool autumn air running through my hair, and it feels pretty good. After a while of running, I make it to back to my house. I then hit my watch to stop it. My time is six thirty six, for three miles making my overall time just a little shy of twenty minutes, which is pretty good. I probably could have ran harder though, but I'll take it. I then walk inside the house, and no one is still up. I then make myself a cup of coffee, and sit down at the bar and drink my cup of coffee. Once I am done with my coffee, I go up the stairs to my bathroom and take a shower, so that I can get ready for the day. After I take my shower, I throw on some clothes and by now, it is almost seven thirty. I have a feeling that no one is up yet. I then go down stairs and see Zach standing in the living room.<p>

"What are you doing up?" I ask.  
>"I couldn't sleep, besides I have basketball practice at nine anyhow." He says. "What about you?"<p>

"I couldn't sleep, so I went for a run a little over an hour ago." I say.

"Oh, I would have went running with you." He says.

"I didn't want to wake you up." I say.

"It would have been alright." He says.

"I'll remember that next time." I say.

"Good." He says. We then just continue carrying on small talk for a little while. Eventually mom wakes up and comes into the family room, where Zach and I are at.

"Hey, I didn't think that anyone was up yet." She says.

"I've been up for a while." I say.

"Usually you both are the last to get up." She says.

"That was only when I was in middle school." I say.

"Oh, true." She says.

"I knew that I had to get up for practice anyhow." Zach says.

"Doesn't Austin and Caleb need to get up too." She says.

"Yeah, but practice isn't until nine." He says.

"Well, it's already eight o'clock, so maybe you should wake them up." She says.

"Ok, I need to get ready anyhow." He says. He then walks off.

"So are you excited about your date?" She asks.

"Yes." I say. "I had a hard time sleeping last night."

"I know, the first date I had with your father, I was so excited that I actually ended up getting sick." She says.

"Are you sure you weren't nervous?" I ask.

"I was excited and at the same time nervous." She says.

"I am too." I say.

"Well, there's no reason to be." She says. "You have known each other since you were in diapers. You have been inseparable since the day you were born."

"I know, but there's something about going on a date that changes things." I say.

"Yeah, but at least you are going on a date with a good guy." She says.

"I know, and it just makes it better." I say.

"I know that you both will have a good time." She says. "Let's just hope that it isn't awkward."

"I don't think that it will." I say.

"I don't think so either, but you never know." She says with a smile.

"Thanks mom." I say.

"So what are you going to wear tonight?" She asks.

"I don't know." I say.

"How about you and I have a girls day, we can go shopping and get our nails done." She says.  
>"I like that idea." I say.<br>"Great, now go get ready because I was thinking that we leave in a little bit." She says. I then go to my room and start getting ready. I put on a purple long flowy top paired with black skinny jeans and a pair of Toms. I then apply a thin layer of makeup. I then take my curly hair out of a ponytail, and let it go natural today. I then grab my purse and put on some lip gloss for the finishing touch.  
>Once I am ready, I go downstairs. I know that my mom isn't ready yet, so I wait for her in the family room. "Are you ready?" She asks a few minutes later.<br>"Yes." I say. "Alright, let's go." She says. "What about the boys?" I ask.  
>"Oh, your dad is going to take them to practice." She says.<br>"Ok." I say. We then get into her car and head out for a day of shopping. "So where is Chris taking you?" She asks.  
>"I'm not sure." I say.<br>"Well, then to play it safe I would do dressy casual." She says.  
>"That's what I was thinking." I say.<br>"Great minds think alike." She says. We both then laugh. We then walk into a store that we both like to go in. "What do you think of this?" She says as she holds up a lavender floral printed dress.  
>"It's ok, but I don't know." I say.<br>"Ok, how about we hold onto it then." She says. "There's only one in your size and it is really cute." "Ok." I say. We continue looking around the store a little bit more. Eventually we find several outfits to try on. "Alright, how about you try on this one first." My mom says as she hands me a black dress that is simple and form fitting. "Ok." I say. I then slip on the dress and take a look at myself in the mirror. It looks pretty good, I think. "What do you think?"  
>"That looks really good." She says.<br>"I really like this one." I say.  
>"Me too." She says. "But I have a feeling that your dad won't." "Why?" I ask.<br>"He doesn't want you to grow up." She says.  
>"Oh." I say. "Well, I'll put it aside." "Ok." She says. I then try on more outfits, and finally I try on the lavender dress that my mom had picked out. It is similar to a dress that she had in high school, which is probably why she liked it so much. I've seen pictures of her wearing it, and she looked beautiful in it. I then look at myself in the mirror, and then walk out.<br>"So, what do you think?" I ask.  
>"I think that's it." She says.<br>"Really?" I ask.  
>"Yes, and I know that Chris will love it." She says.<br>"Ok, I like it too." I say. "Ok, good." She says. We continue shopping for a while and find some heels to go with the dress and a few other accessories as well. Mom even finds some things for herself. We then go and get our nails done. We both get a french manicure and pedicure. "Thank you, for a wonderful day." I say with a smile.  
>"You're more than welcome." She says. "Alright, so it's already two o'clock and he's coming to get you at six right?"<br>"Yeah." I say. "Well, how about we have some coffee and then I'll help you get ready." She says.  
>"Alright, that sounds like a plan." I say.<p>

Mom then puts on a pot of coffee and we sit down and wait for it to finish brewing. "So, how did your dad act when he found out that you were going on a date?" She asks.

"He seemed ok with it." I say. "I think that if it had been anyone other than Chris he would have freaked out."  
>"Yeah, I guess that with you being his little girl, he's going to be very protective of you." She says.<br>"True." I say. The coffee then is done and we both get some and continue talking. After a little bit, we go into my room and my mom helps me get ready. She insists on putting on my makeup.  
>Once she is done with that, she then fixes my hair. She leaves it natural but gently pulls back a few strands of my hair with bobby pins. I then put my dress and shoes on, and I then look at myself in the mirror and smile.<br>"So what do you think?" She asks.  
>"I like it." I say with a smile.<p>

"You look beautiful." My dad says as he walks into my room.

"Thank you, dad." I say.  
>"Chris is one lucky guy." He says. "But so am I. I have a beautiful daughter, and a beautiful wife." He then kisses my mom. It is sort of sweet that they still love each other after nearly twenty years of marriage. I think that it is romantic, I just hope that my marriage will be the same way.<br>"Alright, well Chris will be here in about twenty minutes." Mom says. "So how about you go on downstairs and let your brother's see you." "Ok." I say. I then walk downstairs and Zach is the first one to see me. "Wow." Is all that can come out of his mouth.  
>"Is that good or bad?" I ask.<br>"It's good." He says. The other two then notice me. "Jess, you look hot." Caleb says. "Thank you." I say.  
>"You look pretty, just like you always do." Zane says.<br>"Awe, Zane." I say. "You are way too sweet." It is always great having brothers around, they'll tell you how you look, even if you look like a hot mess. It is sometimes good to have them tell me how I look.  
>"So when is Chris coming?" Caleb asks.<br>"Six." I say. I then sit down on the couch to wait for Chris to get here. I look at my phone and see that it is five fifty five. Ok, I think to myself, five more minutes and then I will be able to go on a date with Chris! "So where is he taking you?" Zach asks.  
>"I'm not sure." I say.<br>"Well, I hope that you both have a good time." He says.  
>"I hope so too." I say.<p>

"He better treat you right." Zach says.

"Zach, we've been friends for a very long time, I don't think that there is anything to worry about." I say.  
>"These days you never know. " He says.<br>"I think that everything will be alright." I say. I then get up to make sure my makeup looks alright and reapply lipstick. Once I am done, I go back into the family room. I then check my phone and see that it is a few minutes after six. "He's late." Zane says.  
>"I know, but maybe he got caught in traffic." I say.<br>"Maybe." Zach says.  
>"I'll give him a few more minutes and then I will call him." I say.<br>"I would call him now." Zane says.  
>"I'm going to wait." I say. "But thank you for the advice." I continue talking with my brothers for a little while. I then glance at my phone again and it is six fifteen. I then get up and start pacing the room and I keep looking out the window hoping that he will pull into our driveway soon.<p>

"You know pacing isn't going to make him come any quicker." Caleb says.  
>"I know, but I'm just worried, that's all." I say.<br>"He'll be here soon." Zach says. I then sit down for a second and take a deep breath. Maybe he just got into a lot of traffic, I keep telling myself over and over again. I then look out the window, and I see his car pull up in the driveway. Finally, I think. He kept me waiting for nearly a half an hour. "Hey Chris." I say as I open the door for him to come inside.  
>"Sorry, I was late." He says. "I had a hard time deciding what to wear."<p>

"Well, you look great." I say.  
>"You look gorgeous." He says.<br>"Thanks, Chris." I say.  
>"So are you ready to go?" He asks.<br>"Yeah." I say. I then tell my parents goodbye and we leave. "So where are we going?"

"You'll see." He says. "I think that you will like it."  
>"I hope so." I say.<br>"You will." He says. We then pull into a park. He then gets out and opens up the door for me. "Thank you." I say.  
>"No problem." He says.<br>"So what are we doing here?" I ask.  
>"Follow me." He says. We then walk through the park a little bit until we reach a spot that has a blanket spread out and a basket. "So what do you think?"<br>"Did you do this all by yourself?" I ask.  
>"Yes." He says. He then pulls out a small bouquet of flowers, and he hands them to me.<br>"These are beautiful." I say.  
>"I'm glad that you like them." He says.<br>"I can't believe that you put all of this together." I say.  
>"Why not?" He asks.<br>"I don't know, most guys don't know how to put something together that is romantic." I say.  
>"I try." He says. "I've been best friends with a girl my whole life, I think that she gave me a few ideas on romance."<p>

"I taught you well." I say.  
>"I'm glad that you feel that way." He says. We then enjoy the picnic that he put together for us. He did do a pretty good job I have to admit. "Are you ready to clean up? I was thinking that maybe we could go get some coffee and then just walk around for a little while.<br>"That sounds like a great idea." I say with a smile. We then clean up and take the basket back to his truck. We then drive to a coffee shop and go inside and order some drinks. After we are done we walk around in the heart of the town.  
>"You are so pretty." He says.<br>"Thanks Chris." I say. "I don't think that you have ever told me that before." "I haven't?" He asks. "Well, I should have."

"It's alright, when people have grown up together people tend to miss things." I say.  
>"I guess that you are right." He says. "What have you missed about me?"<br>"I don't know?" I say.  
>"Come on you have to think of something." He says.<br>"Well at the moment you are being a little bit annoying." I say.  
>"That's not what I meant." He says with a smile.<br>"I know." I say. "Well, you do have a great smile."

"See, that's more of what I was looking for." He says. We then continue talking for a while. We actually have a great time just walking around and getting to know more about each other. "Well, I guess that we should be getting home."

"What time is it?" I ask.

"Almost ten." He says.

"It doesn't feel like it has been that long." I say.  
>"I know what you mean." He says. "And I also know that your dad wants you home by ten."<p>

"Ok, let's go then." I say. "I don't want him mad at me." We then get into his truck and we go back to my house. After a short drive we make it back to my house. "Thank you for a wonderful night."

'You are more than welcome." He says.  
>"Do you want to come in?" I ask.<br>"Maybe some other time." He says.  
>"Ok." I say.<br>"But, I'll walk you to the door." He says. He then opens the car door for me, and we walk to the front door. He then stops right in front of the door and looks into my eyes. "I have a question. Will you be my girlfriend?" "I would love too." I say. He then gives me a hug and leaves. He is so sweet and kind. I then walk inside the house, and I feel like I am floating on a cloud. I then see my mom and dad watching a movie together.  
>"So how did the date go?" My dad asks.<br>"It went well." I say. I then float up the stairs and go to my room.


	6. Chapter 6

Hey guys so here is the next chapter! I hope that you all enjoy. Thank you to all of you that have read my story! R&R

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><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

The next day after my date, I wake up with a smile on my face. Everything, just seems more wonderful. I really think that I am falling in love with my best friend, and we have only went on one date. I then get out of my bed and come down stairs. When I get down there, I see my brothers playing video games. Zach looks up, when I walk in the room. "You seem happy." He says.  
>"I am." I say.<br>"I'm guessing that everything went well last night." He says.  
>"No, it was wonderful." I say as sit down on the couch.<br>"I talked to Hannah last night." He says.  
>"You did?" I ask.<br>"Yeah, and she's coming over this afternoon." He says.  
>"Good job, little brother." I say.<br>"Well, I did learn from the best." He says.  
>"Alright, enough of this weirdness that is going on between you two." Caleb says. "Zach are you still playing?"<br>"No, I'm done." He says.  
>"Alright then." Caleb says.<br>"You can still play if you want to." I say to Zach.  
>"I would rather talk to you." He says.<br>"Ok." I say with a smile. "Anyways, Hannah is coming over around three and we are going to watch a movie or something." He says.  
>"That should be fun." I say. "I'll give you two your privacy, I can't say for the rest of the house."<br>"She really wants to meet you, Jess." He says.  
>"Really?" I ask.<br>"Yeah." He says. "Well I would love to meet her too." I say. We then continue to talk for a while. I really do enjoy spending time with my brothers. They mean a lot to me. I feel bad that next year, I won't be here for them. Hopefully they will manage without me for a short time. After a little bit, I go to my room and get ready for the day. I then glance at my phone and see that Chris is calling me, so I then answer. "Hello." I say.  
>"Hey, Jess." He says. "So, I was wondering if you would want to hang out today."<p>

"I don't know." I say.

"Please, we could do whatever you wanted." He says.  
>"How about you come over here." I say.<br>"Ok, I can do that." He says. "Alright, so when are you thinking about coming over?" I ask.  
>"I was thinking in about an hour." He says.<br>"That would be perfect." I say.  
>"Alright, well I'll see you soon." He says.<br>"Bye." I say. I then change my clothes and finish getting ready. I don't want to still be in my pajamas when he gets here. I then finish getting ready and then go downstairs to wait for Chris to get here. I only have to wait for a few minutes until I see his truck pull up in the driveway. I then get up from off of the couch and go to the door and let him in. "Hey." I say as he walks in.  
>"Hey." He says. "So what do you want to do?"<br>"I don't know, what do you want to do?" I ask. Then Zach and Caleb walk into the room. "Hey, do you guys want to play basketball with us?" Zach asks.  
>"I don't know." Chris says.<br>"If you want to, it's fine." I say.  
>"Ok." Chris says. "I'll play."<br>"What about you, Jess?" Caleb asks.  
>"I don't know." I say. "Come on, you're really good." Chris says.<br>"Oh, alright, but I need to change." I say.  
>"You look fine." He says. "I can't really play in skinny jeans." I say. "I'll be right back."<p>

"Ok, take as long as you need." Chris says. I then walk off.  
>"So, do you want to be on a team with Jess?" Zach asks.<br>"Sure, but it really doesn't matter." Chris says. I then walk back into the room. "That was fast."

"It doesn't take that long to put on a t shirt, shorts, and a pair of shoes." I say.  
>"True." He says. "Alright, so are you ready to play?"<br>"Yes." I say. "So am I on your team?"  
>"If you want to be." Chris says.<br>"Alright then, it's settled." I say we then walk outside to play basketball.  
>"Ok, so who gets the ball first?" Zach asks.<br>"How about you flip a coin." I say.  
>"That's a good idea." Caleb says. "Heads we go, tails you guys." He then pulls a quarter out of his pocket and flips it. It lands on tails.<p>

"Yes, we get to go first." I say as I take the ball out of Caleb's hand. I then walk over to Chris. "So, I'm just warning you, both of them are really good." "I know, but I also know that you are really good, if not better than both of them combined." He says.  
>"Chris, I'm not that good." I say.<br>"We'll just have to see, now won't we." He says. He then takes the ball out of my hand and we start playing. After some time the score is all tied up at 22 to 22. Hopefully, Chris and I will be able to beat them. They are starting to drive me crazy. "Alright, next one to score wins." Caleb says.  
>"Let's make it to the next person that makes it to 30 points." I say. "That's only four more baskets." "I can count." Caleb says. "What do you say, Zach?"<br>"That's fine." He says. "That was a good plan." Chris whispers in my ear. "And don't worry, I think that we can beat them." I just smile and we continue our game. I make the next basket for our team, and then Chris gives me a high five. We keep on playing for a bit longer. I have to admit, Caleb and Zach are really playing hard. The score is really close at 26 to 28. If we make another basket we will win, but if they do then the game will be tied. I really sort of want this game to be over, I'm starting to get tired. I have the ball in my hand, and I dribble it down the court. I am almost blocked by Caleb, but I pass the ball to Chris from underneath Caleb's legs. I then take off to the basket and Chris passes me the ball. I then go in for a layup, and the ball gets pushed out of my hand by Zach. I then run down the court and attempt to steal the ball, but am unable to, Chris even tries and can't. Zach then passes the ball to Caleb and Caleb makes a basket, we are all then tied up at 28. The next person who scores will win.  
>My dad then walks outside and says "Guys, I hate to break up this game, but Zach there is a young lady in the house that is looking for you. She said that he name is Hannah." "Oh, Hannah." Zach says. "I almost forgot that she was coming over." He then runs inside.<p>

"Well, I guess that we will have to finish this game some other time." Caleb says.  
>"Were you guys almost done?" Dad asks.<br>"Yeah, we were tied." I say.  
>"Oh, that stinks." He says. "If you want to start another game, I'll play with you guys."<p>

"Ok, I'm game." Caleb says. "What about the love birds?"  
>"Caleb." I say.<br>"It's ok, Jess." Chris says. "So do you want to play another game?"  
>"Um, I guess, but just a short one." I say.<br>"Ok, then." Dad says. We then start another game. In the end, Chris and I end up winning. "You guys played a good game."  
>"Thanks." I say.<br>"I'm surprised that we didn't beat them, dad." Caleb says.  
>"Well, sometimes you'll win, and sometimes you won't, it's just the way it is." Dad says. "And besides, we can always rematch later and try to beat them." "Someone is competitive." I say. We all then go inside the house, to cool down. I then go grab a bottle of water out of the fridge. "Chris, do you want one?" "Sure." He says. I then grab one, and toss it to him. "So, you'll do things for him, but not me." Caleb says. "Well, do you want a water?" I ask.<br>"No, thanks though." He says.  
>"You're so weird." I say. I then take a sip of my water. "So do you want to watch a movie?" I ask Chris.<br>"I was thinking that maybe we could go do something." He says.  
>"Chris, I feel all gross." I say. "I need to take a shower."<br>"Ok, I can wait." He says.  
>"Alright, just give me a few minutes." I say. I then go upstairs to take a shower. After about a half an hour, I am almost ready to go. I then pull my hair into a loose ponytail and put on some lip gloss. I then go downstairs and see Chris waiting in the family room on the couch talking to my dad. I then sneak up behind him and put my hands over his eyes. "Guess who." I say.<br>"Jess." He says. He then gets a hold of my and flips me over the couch. "Be careful." I say as I laugh.

"I knew that you would like that." He says. "And you are right." I say as I snuggle up against him.  
>"So are you ready to go?" He asks.<br>"I guess." I say.  
>"Where are we going?" I ask.<br>"I was thinking about us getting some coffee." He says.  
>"Ok, let's go then." I say. We both then get up and go to his truck. "I'm sorry that I left you with my dad."<p>

"Oh, it was fine." He says. "We both enjoy talking about basketball."  
>"Well, I'm glad then." I say with a smile.<p>

"Now, how about we go and get some coffee." He says.  
>"Sounds like a plan." I say. We finally make it to a coffee place and we get out and go inside. He then opens the door for me. "Thank you."<p>

"You're welcome." He says. We then walk inside the store and order. We then sit down at a table and wait for our drinks.

"So, the first game of the season is on Tuesday." I say. "Do you think that you are ready?"  
>"I think so." He says. "I guess that I will have to be, I mean with my dad coaching and everything."<p>

"Yeah, and the fact that you are captain." I say.  
>"Who told you that." He says.<br>"Your mom." I say.  
>"I didn't want anyone to know that." He says.<br>"I think that it is awesome." I say. "Your dad was captain."

"I know, but I wanted to be different." He says.  
>"And you can be." I say. "You just have to go out and do it."<p>

"It's easier said than done." He says.  
>"Believe me, I know." I say. "Even though my dad knows that I don't want to go pro, I feel like he still is holding on to that dream."<p>

"He may be, but just do what you want for a change instead of what everyone else expects." He says.  
>"I guess that you are right." I say.<br>"I know that I am right." He says. "Excuse me, I am going to get our drinks." He then walks off for a second. After a brief moment, he comes back with our drinks in his hand. "Here you go."

"Thanks." I say. I then take a sip of my coffee. "Chris, I love how you know how to give the best advice."  
>"Thanks, I didn't think that I gave that great advice." He says.<br>"You do though." I say.

"I guess that I got it from my mom." He says.  
>"I'm sure that you did." I say. "My mom says that if it hadn't have been for your mom, that my parents might not be together."<p>

"Yeah, she knows when something is wrong, sometimes before even the person does." He says.  
>"She's so smart." I say.<br>"Yeah, she really is." He says. We then continue talking for a while. "So are you ready to go?"  
>"I guess." I say. "Especially since we have school in the morning."<p>

"Yeah, I wish that we didn't have school tomorrow." He says.

"Me too." I say. We then leave and go back to my house. "Thank you."

"It's no problem." He says. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow." He then leans in and kisses my cheek.

"Goodbye." I say. I then get out of his car and go into the house.


	7. Chapter 7

**So here is the next chapter. I hope that you all enjoy! And as always please R&R **

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><p><strong>Chapter Seven:<strong>

I wake up with anticipation, tonight is the first night of my final season of basketball. It is sort of exciting. I am more excited to watch Chris play, but it will still be fun.  
>I then get out of bed and get ready for school. I decide to put on my red dress to show school spirit. I then straighten my naturally curly hair and put on a light amount of makeup. I then put on a pair of heels and then finish up. Once I am done, I go downstairs and see my dad sitting in the family room watching the news, boring I think to myself. I then go to find my mom, who is in the kitchen. "Hey, mom." I say.<br>"Hey, you look nice this morning." She says.  
>"Thanks." I say.<br>"So are you ready for tonight?" She asks.  
>"I guess so." I say.<br>"You will do great out there tonight." She says.  
>"I hope so." I say.<br>"You will." She says as she gives me a hug. "Thank you." I say as I get some coffee. "Mom, do you want anymore?"  
>"No, thank you though." She says.<br>"Ok, so you're coming to the game right?" I ask.  
>"Yeah, I wouldn't miss it for the world." She says.<br>"Good." I say. "Do you want anything to eat?" She asks.  
>"No, I'm fine." I say.<br>"You need to eat something." She says. "How about some fruit."  
>"Ok, that will be fine." I say. She then gets some fruit out of the refrigerator and puts it into a bowl. She then hands it to me. "Thank you." "You are welcome." She says. We then continue talking for a while. "Well, I guess that I need to get going to school." I say.<br>"Ok." She says. "Are you coming home before the game?"  
>"I should be." I say.<br>"Ok, I just wanted you to have time to relax." She says.  
>"I will, don't worry." I say.<br>"Ok, well, I'll see you later." She says. I then leave and get into my car and head to school. When I get there the entire school is decorated with school colors. It looks really awesome! I then walk to my first period class. The rest of the day, goes by pretty fast. As the game becomes closer and closer, I get more and more nervous. Fortunately, I am able to come home to get away from all of the school. I need some time to my self.  
>When I get home, I get a bottle of water and sit down for a minute. I then turn on the television for a minute, but I flip through all of the channels and there is nothing good on so I turn it off and go to my room and listen to music instead. After some time has passed, I start getting ready for the game. Once I am ready, I go downstairs and realize that I still have a few more minutes until I have to leave to be at the school. I then hear the phone ring.<br>so I answer it. "Hello." I say.  
>"Hey, this is Albuquerque OBGYN, I am calling to remind Gabriella Bolton that she has an appointment scheduled for Friday at eleven o'clock." The other line says. It is one of those automated phone calls. I then hang up once I hear the message. I wonder what my mom is going there for. Is she pregnant? Questions like that come racing through my head. I guess that I will need to ask her at some point, but I don't know how to. I then look at the time and realize that I need to be at the school, so I get into my car and head over to East High. Once I get there, I go straight to the locker room where the rest of the team is supposed to meet at, but I am the only one in here. I then look around, and find my dad standing there. "Hey, dad." I say.<br>"Hey, sweetheart." He says.  
>"Where's the rest of the team?" I ask.<br>"Hopefully on there way." He says. "We are supposed to play in half an hour."

"Yeah, that's why I got here when I did." I say.  
>"I also like the fact that you are already ready." He says.<br>"I figured that's what you would prefer." I say.  
>"Smart move." He says. "So are you ready?"<br>"I think so." I say.  
>"Not to make you nervous, but I have you playing a big majority of the game." He says.<br>"Oh, why not let someone else?" I ask.  
>"You are one of our better players, and we need you tonight especially." He says. "We are playing West High our rival."<p>

"I know, and I think that we can beat them." I say.  
>"I like that optimism." He says. Then Emily comes walking in. "Good, at least now we have two players."<p>

"Jess, are you the only one here?" She asks.  
>"Yeah." I say.<br>"Hopefully the rest of the team will be here." She says.  
>"I know, I'm beginning to be worried." Dad says.<br>"Coach, you are worried?" Emily asks.  
>"Just a little." He says. "This is my first year of coaching and I'm beginning to wonder if that was such a good idea."<p>

"You are doing great." Emily says.  
>"Thank you, Emily." He says. "Both of you are defiantly going to be starters." "<p>

Really?" She asks. "I've never started in a game." "Well, you will tonight." He says. "You've improved a lot since tryouts."

"Thanks coach." She says.  
>"No problem." He says. Some time has gone by and finally the rest of the team has arrived. My dad then walks back into the locker room to give us a pep talk before the game. "Alright, team this is our first game of the season. I know that most of you are nervous, but I know that if you all give everything that you have, you will do great. And whether we win, or lose, we are all still a team. I want you guys to go out there and have fun. Now lets go out there and kick some Knight butt." He says. "Now what team?"<p>

"Wildcats." We chant back.  
>"What team?" He says again.<br>"Wildcats." We say again. "Wildcats, get your head in the game."

We all then run out onto the court. "Ok, here's tonight's lineup." He says. "Jackson, Bolton, Harper, Reid, Villa, and Prescott." We then go out there and start the game. I am happy to start the season off right. Hopefully we will win. That would be really nice.  
>Emily starts off at tip off. We are then able to get the ball and I take off down the court and score the first goal. The crowd roars. By the end of the second quarter the score is tied 14 to 14. We then all go to the locker room to get some water and regroup.<br>"Alright, girls, you have shown great effort, and West High has a good team this year. I think that in order for us to beat them we all are going to have to give more effort." My dad says. The team then sits down for a second. My dad motions for me to come over to him, so I get up and come over to him.  
>"What's up?" I ask.<br>"Ok, so how are you feeling?" He asks.  
>"Fine, why?" I ask.<br>"What I mean is, do you feel up to playing the next two quarters?" He asks.  
>"Um, I can play most of it, but I will need to get out for a little while." I say.<br>"Ok, I can do that, I just feel like we need you to help us win." He says. "But I only wanted you, if I knew that you felt up to it. Otherwise it wouldn't be worth it." "I understand." I say.  
>"Try to get some rest, we will be using you a lot for the remainder of the game." He says. I then sit down for the remainder of the fifteen minute half time that we have. I really wish that I wasn't all that good, I wasn't prepared to play all four quarters. But I am willing to play. We then start the third quarter. I end up playing about half of that quarter. I then end up playing all of the fourth quarter. We are down to the final seconds of the game we are winning by one point, but it would be good to score a few more. I then steal the ball from the other team.<br>I then take off down the court. I am running strong, its down to ten seconds. My heart is beating as I go up to make the final layup of the game. I leap in the air, and my form is perfect. While still in the air, I get knocked by another player and I fall to the ground. I hear something in my leg snap.  
>I instantly feel pain shooting through my left leg. I think that I may have broke it, but I really do not know. I try to get up, but the pain is too much for me to bare. Next thing I know, my dad rushes onto the court. The game is over, and luckily, I made that layup. "Are you alright?" My dad asks.<br>"I don't know." I say. He then tries to move my leg. I wince in the pain. "I think that it may be broke." He says. "The way you landed was pretty bad." "I know, I got tripped up by someone." I say.  
>"If it hadn't been at the end of the game you would have had a foul shot." He says.<br>"I doubt that it would have done any good." I say. "Hey, on the bright side, at least you made that layup." He says.  
>"But most likely I'll be out for most of the season." I say.<br>"It's alright." He says. "I can probably talk the college scouts into coming back later in the season."  
>"Wait there were scouts at this game?" I say.<br>"Yeah, I didn't want to tell you, because I knew that you would get nervous." He says.  
>"I bet that they are going to think that I am clumsy." I say.<br>"They won't." He says. "How about we get you off of the court and get you to the ER just to make sure that you'll be alright."  
>"Ok." I say.<br>"Do you think that you can stand up?" He asks. He then tries to help me up and I stand for a brief second, and then almost fall. He then picks me up and carries me out to his truck in front of the school. "Just wait right here, and I'll be right back." "It's not like I can go anywhere." I say. He then runs into the school. Chris then comes out the door. "Are you alright?" He asks.  
>"I think that I will be." I say. My leg hurts so bad, but I hold back tears.<br>"You're going to get it x-rayed right?" He asks.  
>"Yeah, my dad thinks that I broke it." I say. "Especially since there is a gigantic bruise on my leg." "Oh, that looks pretty bad." He says.<br>"Chris, you need to get inside, you have a game starting soon." I say.  
>"I know, but I would rather be with you." He says.<br>"Chris, you need to play." I say.  
>"The whole game I will be thinking about you." He says.<br>"Please do something for me." I say.  
>"What?" He asks.<br>"Go out there and play the best that you can." I say.  
>"I will." He says. "I'll be out there playing for you." I then smile.<br>"I'll text you when we find out anything." I say.  
>"Ok, thank you." He says. "Now, go out there and win ok." I say.<br>"I'll do my best." He says. "The Knights have a good team this year."  
>"But so do the Wildcats." I say. "You've got this, I believe in you."<br>"Thanks." He says. "I'm glad that you have my back." "Who else's would I have." I say. "Now, go inside before you miss your game."  
>"Ok, I'll see you later." He says. He then runs inside the school. I then let the tears that I had been holding back form. I can't hold them in any longer. The pain is almost to much to bare. A moment passes and then my mom comes out to my dad's car. "Hey, sweetie." She says. "Do you need any Tylenol or anything?" I nod my head for yes. She then pulls out a bottle from her purse and hands me one and a bottle of water. "I figured that you would need something."<p>

"Thank you." I say after I take the pill.  
>"It's no problem, it is what mom's are for." She says. "Are we about to leave?" I ask.<br>"Yeah." She says. "Your dad went to get his stuff and your stuff too."  
>"Oh, ok." I say. "Chris was worried about you." She says.<br>"I know, he came out here and it took everything for me to get him to go inside." I say.  
>"He just cares about you." She says.<br>"I know, but I will be alright." I say. "All that I did was probably break a bone."

"I know, but the way you fell, was pretty bad." She says.  
>"I barely remember how it happened." I say. "It all happened so fast."<p>

"I know." She says. Within a few minutes, my parents and I head to the nearest hospital, which is about a ten minute drive from the school. We get checked into the ER and surprisingly, it is a slow night and they are able to take me back to an examining room right away.  
>We are able to get an x-ray right off the bat. I then am sitting in an examining room awaiting the results of the x-ray. "How are the boys playing?" I ask. I know that Chad is giving my dad updates on the game.<br>"Right now, they are losing." Dad says.  
>"By how much?" I ask.<br>"A lot." He says. "Chad had to take Chris out of the game, because he isn't focused."

"Maybe I should call him during half time and let him know that everything is alright." I say.  
>"That would be a good idea." He says.<br>"I of course want to know what the doctor has to say first." I say.  
>"Yeah, because you know that he will want to know exactly what is going on." My mom says.<br>"Yeah, that's Chris for you." I say. Then the doctor walks into the room. "Alright, do you want the good news or the bad news first?" The doctor asks.  
>"Good news." I say.<br>"Ok, well you won't need to have surgery." She says. "But you did suffer a pretty bad fracture of your tibia." "Ok, so what's next then?" Dad asks.  
>"Well, Mr. Bolton, as you can see from the x-ray it is a bad fracture, its what is called a-"<br>"Spiral fracture of the tibia." My dad finishing her sentence.  
>"Exactly, how did you know that?" She asks.<br>"I've had a break just like this when I was in the tenth grade." He says.  
>"Well, then I'm sure that what I am about to say you will understand very well." She says. "Well, Jessica we are going to start you off with a cast, but I need for some of the swelling to go down, so for a couple of days I want you to wear a splint, and keep your leg elevated, and stay off of it as much as you can, which shouldn't be too hard given the amount of pain that you are in. Then let's say on Friday you will come back into my office, I'll go ahead and get an appointment set up, and we will put a cast on, that you will have on for several weeks and you may have to have physical therapy depending on how things heal up. Do you have any questions?"<br>"Will I be able to play basketball?" I ask.  
>"We'll see, fortunately you are pretty active." She says. "Maybe you'll get to play at least the last game of the season. Alright, so we're going to get that splint put on and then you can leave. I will also go ahead and get the appointment set up for you." She then walks out of the room.<br>"At least it's my left leg." I say.  
>"What difference does that make?" My mom asks.<br>"At least I can drive." I say.  
>"True." My dad says. I then get the splint and have an appointment set up for Friday at two o'clock and we then leave the hospital and head home. When we get to the house, my dad picks me up and carries me into the house and places me on the couch. "Where are Zach, Caleb and Zane?" I ask.<br>"Chris, said that he would bring them home after the game." He says. "Which just ended." He says.  
>"How did they do?" I ask.<br>"They did alright." He says. "I'm sure that Chris will tell you." "I'm sure that he will." I say. I then prop my leg up on the ottoman that is in front of the couch. "Do you need anything?" My mom asks.  
>"I'm fine right now." I say. "Thank you though."<br>"You're welcome." She says. My dad then walks off for a minute, and I am there with just my mom. "Mom, I almost forgot to tell you." I say. "The doctor's office called to confirm your appointment for Friday at eleven."

"Thank you." She says. "I almost forgot."  
>"Is everything alright?" I ask.<br>"Yes, sweetheart, there is no reason to worry." She says.  
>"Ok." I say. "You're not pregnant are you?"<p>

"What would make you think that?" She asks.  
>"I don't know, I was just curious." I say.<br>"Can you keep a secret?" She asks.  
>"Sure." I say.<br>"I'm pregnant." She says.  
>"You are?" I ask.<br>"Yes." She says. "How far along are you?" I ask.  
>"About two months along." She says. "I just found out about two weeks ago." "That's awesome." I say. "Have you told dad yet?"<br>"No, that's why you need to keep it a secret." She says. "I was going to wait until his birthday ,which is in two weeks, to tell him."  
>"Ok, I can definitely do that. " I say. "I was hoping that you could." She says with a smile. Chris and my brothers then walk in the door of the house. "Hey, how are you?" Chris asks.<br>"Better." I say. "I'm not in nearly as much pain, the medicine worked."

"That's good." He says. "Wait, hold up, you took medicine, I thought that you never would take any?"  
>"I needed it really bad." I say.<br>"You must have." He says. "So are you staying out tomorrow?"  
>"Yeah, and I might stay out Thursday and Friday as well." I say. "I have to go to the doctor on Friday to get a cast put on."<br>"Oh, well I completely understand needing to do that." He says.  
>"I'm glad that you do." I say. My mom then leaves the room. "So, how did the game go?"<br>"We won, barely though." He says.  
>"I guess that my phone call worked after all." I say.<br>"Yeah, it did." He says. "I actually scored some tonight. Fortunately, there weren't any scouts in the crowd."

"Be glad, there were some at my game." I say.  
>"Oh, well you played really well out there tonight." He says.<br>"Up until the last few seconds." I say.  
>"It's alright, we all have our slip ups in life." He says. "Yours just ended up being literal." "That's not funny." I say.<br>"Sure it is." He says. "I bet you later in life you will look back on this and laugh." "I doubt it." I say with a smile.  
>"At least it got you smiling." He says.<br>"Yeah." I say. "I can always count on you for a smile." "Yes, you can." He says. "Well, it's getting kind of late, so I'm going to go, I'll see you later." "Alright." I say. "See ya." He then leaves. I then attempt to get up to go to the bathroom, but am having a hard time getting up. Fortunately, my mom walks into the room and helps me get to the bathroom. I hate having to have help for everything, but I guess that I will have to get used to it. It won't be that bad having help, I think to myself.

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><p><strong>I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. It may take me more time to update in the next year, but I will do my best to update at least once a week.<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

I try so hard to sleep, but every position that I lie in just brings more pain to my leg. This stinks, I have been in this splint for a couple of days and I am already glad to be rid of it, and get a cast. Hopefully it won't be so bad. Or at least I will figure out what to do with the pain that is piercing through my leg. Finally after trying to sleep, I give up. It is four o'clock. There isn't really anything that I can do at four o'clock without bothering nearly everyone in the house. I then pull out my phone and some ear buds and listen to music and watch videos until at some point, I fall asleep. I am a woken by the noise of my dad walking into the kitchen to get some coffee. I then sit up. "Oh, I'm so sorry I didn't mean to wake you." He says.  
>"I know that you didn't." I say. "I couldn't sleep anyhow."<p>

"Well, hopefully soon you will be able to." He says.  
>"Let's hope so." I say.<br>"Would you like some coffee?" He asks.  
>"Yes." I say. "That would be great." My dad then fixes me a cup of coffee and brings it over to me.<p>

"I was planning on taking you to the doctor today, but I have a meeting with the Heat this afternoon." He says.  
>"What do they want." I say. "I thought that you retired."<p>

"I did, but as part of being a recruiter, I have a few things to take care of, and besides I was invited to play in a charity game next weekend, and I am thinking about playing in it." He says.  
>"That would be great for you, but you need to be careful." I say.<br>"I know, I will." He says.  
>"Sure." I say.<br>"I will, trust me." He says. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get ready."

"Where is the meeting at?" I ask.  
>"It is in L.A." He says.<br>"Oh ok." I say. "I thought that it was in Miami."

"I was going to be, but the people I am meeting with were already in L.A. so it would just make things simpler for me to catch a flight to L.A. rather than Miami and they have to fly there too." He says.  
>"I guess that you are right." I say. "So when will you be back?"<p>

"I should be home tonight, if not it will be tomorrow morning." He says. "But I don't intend on it taking that long."

"I hope not." I say.

"Hopefully the doctor will be able to put that cast on so that your leg can heal up faster." He says.  
>"I hope so." I say.<br>"How is your leg feeling?" He asks.  
>"It still hurts a little, but at least the swelling has gone down some." I say.<br>"That's good." He says. "That's why the doctor didn't want to put the cast on."

"That would make since." I say.  
>"Well, I'll see you before I leave." He says.<br>"Bye dad." I say.  
>"Bye sweetheart." He says. He then walks off to go get ready for his meeting today. I then turn back on my music and drink my cup of coffee. After a little bit, I get help upstairs and I start getting ready. My mom then walks into my room.<p>

"Hey." She says. "Do you need any help?"

"I think that I've got it." I say.

"I hope that you don't mind going with me to the doctor." She says. "I think that it would be better than you staying at home by yourself." "I suppose." I say as I finish up my makeup. "Besides, I know that the past few days haven't been that much fun, being here all alone." She says.  
>"Yeah, they haven't really." I say. "I would rather go back to school." "I know that you would, and you should be able to on Monday." She says.<br>"Good." I say. "I'm so tired of being at home like this, it's ridiculous." "I can only imagine." She says. "Well, I'm going to finish getting ready and then we can go." "Alright." I say. She then leaves and I finish getting ready. I then hobble out of my room and attempt to make it down the stairs, which is to no avail. Fortunately, my mom just so happens to be right there and helps me out.  
>"Thanks." I say.<br>"It's no problem." She says. We then leave and go to her doctor's appointment, which is kind of interesting, I guess. They do an ultrasound and then check and make sure that the baby is alright, and of course everything is alright. Once we are done, we go get some lunch at a little cafe that mom and I enjoy going to.  
>"So, how did you sleep last night?" My mom asks.<br>"I didn't really sleep until about five, and then dad came into the kitchen and made a lot of racket and woke me up." I say.  
>"I'm sorry." She says. "Hopefully, you'll be able to sleep tonight." "I think that it will be better, when I am able to do stairs on my own without almost falling." I say.<br>"I think that when you get your cast you will get some crutches." She says.  
>"Let's hope so." I say. "I really would rather sleep in my own bed, instead of the couch." "I know, and if it wasn't for the fact that we don't have a guest bedroom downstairs you could have used that room." She says.<br>"I'll be fine." I say. We then continue talking for a while. Finally, it is time for us to head to my appointment. It goes by pretty fast. They re-examine my leg and then they put a cast on it. I then get a set of crutches to use, and they show me how to use them. After that is over, we are able to leave. I walk into the house, and sit down on the couch. "Using crutches is harder than I thought." I say.  
>"Yeah, there aren't really all that fun." Mom says.<br>"Well, I guess that it is better than trying to not put pressure on my left leg." I say.  
>"Exactly, it will help you be able to balance better." She says.<br>"Yeah, I guess that it will." I say. I then put my leg up on a pillow, and fall right off to sleep. It feels good, to finally be able to sleep, but I am all too soon interrupted by the door opening and I hear Chris walk in.

"Hey." He says. I then sit up. I am mad that he woke me up, but I try not to show him.  
>"Hey." I say with a yawn.<br>"I woke you up didn't I?" He asks.  
>"Yeah." I say. "But it's fine." "I can leave, if you want." He says.<br>"No, you're fine." I say. He then pulls a chair over to the couch.  
>"So how does the cast feel?" He asks.<br>"My leg feels stiff, I have a feeling that I won't be playing basketball for a very long time." I say.  
>"You might, but it's alright." He says. "I remember a certain someone telling me that they didn't want to play basketball. Oh wait that was you."<p>

"Very funny." I say. "I didn't want it to be like this."

"I know, I was just trying to get you to laugh, but I can see that it isn't going to work." He says.  
>"Yep, you are so right." I say.<p>

"So how are you with the crutches?" He asks.  
>"It's going to take time to get used to them." I say. "And I am definitely going to need your help for a while during school."<p>

"That shouldn't be a problem." He says.  
>"Good." I say. "I knew that I could count on you."<p>

"You always can." He says.

"Did you bring my brothers home?" I ask.  
>"No, I was going to, but they had basketball practice, and your grandmother said that she would bring them by." He says.<br>"Oh, that's good, because I know that for a while, I will not feel like driving." I say.  
>"I know, and I don't have a problem with coming by and getting you and taking you to school." He says.<br>"You are such a good boyfriend." I say.  
>"Why thank you." He says. "So do you want to cuddle on the couch and watch a movie?"<br>"That sounds lovely." I say. He then puts in a movie and gets it ready for us to watch. I snuggle up next to him and eventually I doze off for a little bit. After some time, I wake up and see that he too fell asleep. I then close my eyes for a little bit longer, but I am awoken by my brothers barreling through the house. Sometimes, I think that they don't realize how loud and obnoxious they can be. I then try to sit up, but see that Chris still has his arm around me. I then gently move his arm, so that he doesn't wake up.

"Oh, hey." Zach says.

"Hey." I say sleepily.  
>"We woke you up didn't we." He says.<br>"Yeah." I say.  
>"Sorry." He says. "I told them not to be so loud." "It's alright." I say. "I'm a light sleeper, that's all." "And I'm guessing that this one isn't." He says.<br>"Yeah, that's my guess too." I say with a laugh. Chris then wakes up. "Hey, sleepyhead." "Sorry, I must have fell asleep." He says. "How long have you been up?"  
>"About five minutes." I say.<br>"Oh, ok, I don't feel so bad." He says. "You could have woke me up."

"You looked so peaceful, I didn't want to bother you." I say.  
>"You could have." He says.<p>

"I'll remember that, next time." I say.  
>"I'm sure that you will." He says.<br>"Where's dad?" Zach asks.  
>"Oh, he had a meeting in L.A." I say.<br>"Oh, when is he coming home?" He asks.  
>"Either tonight or tomorrow." I say. "But I have a feeling that it will be tomorrow."<p>

"What makes you think that?" He asks.  
>"I don't know." I say. "I just figured that would happen."<br>"Oh, I guess that you are right." He says.  
>"Yeah." I say. We all then talk for a little while. I am so happy to get my mind off of my pain that I have been feeling.<br>Some time has gone by, and it is getting pretty late. We have played games and really have had a good time. "Well, I need to get going, it's getting pretty late." Chris says.  
>"Do you really have to?" I say.<br>"Yeah, my mom is going to be wondering where I am at." He says.  
>"Ok, well I wish that you didn't have to leave." I say.<br>"I need to though." He says. "I'll talk to you later." "Promise?" I ask.  
>"I promise." He says. "I'll see you later." I say.<br>"See ya." He says. He then leaves and heads home. I then get up and use my crutches to go upstairs to my room. I then change into my pajamas and go to sleep. I am grateful to be able to get some sleep, that I desperately need.

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><p>I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter. Sorry for it not being that long. I will try to post the next chapter on Monday.<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

So here's the next chapter, I hope that everyone enjoys! Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical. I'm going to try to start putting a new chapter of my story each Sunday.

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><p><strong>Chapter Nine:<strong>

The weekend passed by pretty fast, and I was able to go back to school on Monday, something that I thought would be great. Yeah, it is better than being cooped up at home, but I need my independence. I guess that it is something that I will just have to deal with. The week has flown by and it is finally Friday. Thank goodness, I am one week closer to getting this cast off. "Jess, I don't mind helping you, but my teachers are starting to get irritated for me being late to class." Chris says. He has been carrying my books for me to the classes that I have each period.  
>"Did you tell them that you were helping me?" I ask.<br>"Yeah." He says. "And at first they all thought that it was sweet, but now they think that I am using it as an excuse to be late to class."

"Well, if you don't want to help me, that's fine." I say. "It will take me the same amount of time."

"I didn't mean it like that." He says. "I have an idea, I could carry you, it would at least be faster than you walking around on crutches."

"Chris, what about our books." I say.

"Oh, I've got a plan for that one too." He says. We then spot Jagger Cross, Jason and Martha's son. "Jagger, could you carry Jessica's stuff for me?"

"I guess." Jagger says.  
>"Thank you." I say.<br>"It's no problem." He says. Chris then picks me up and carries me down the hallway. I have to admit, I am pretty embarrassed, I honestly think that it will take the same amount of time for him to carry me as it would for me to walk myself, but I'm not telling him that. "What teacher do you have?"  
>"Thompson." I say.<p>

"That actually is on my way." He says. "My class is right beside her's."

"See, sometimes my plans do work out." Chris says. I just smile, Chris is so crazy. "I hope that we don't get in trouble." I say. "For what?" He asks. "Carrying me." I say. I'm more concerned about my dad getting mad, he knows Chris and I are together, but that doesn't mean that he isn't protective of me. "Everyone knows that you broke your tibia." He says.  
>"Yeah, and besides, it really isn't that big of a deal." Jagger says.<br>"True, I guess." I say. We then make it where our class is at. Chris then gently set me down, and I walk into the classroom.  
>"Thank, Jag." Chris says.<br>"No, problem, anything for Jessica." He says with a wink and then leaves.  
>"What was that?" Chris asks.<br>"I don't know." I say. We just laugh and take a seat. The rest of the day goes by pretty fast. I am thankful for the weekend to begin. I then go to the parking lot of the school, and look around for Chris at first I don't see him. I then look at my phone and see a text from him that says _I forgot that I had basketball practice, I tried to get out of it but couldn't. You could stay and watch if you want. Love you._ I have to admit, Chris is pretty sweet. I then send him back,_ Thanks, but I think that I am going to go home with my dad today._ I then walk over to my dad's office. When I walk in he is looking at some paper work. I knock on the door, and walk in.  
>"Hey sweetheart." He says. "I was about to go look for you."<p>

"Well, I figured that you were in here." I say. I then take a seat.

"Well, you are right." He says. "I am about to leave, if you need a ride home."

"That would be great." I say. "Chris had offered to take me home, but he forgot that he had practice today."

"Oh, yeah." He says. "I had a question for you, even though you can't play do you still want to come to practice?"

"I don't know." I say. "Well, I had talked with the school, and they agreed that you could assist me in coaching until they find someone, and who knows how long that will take." He says.  
>"I'll think about it." I say. "I'm not sure how much help I would really be."<p>

"Hey, think about it." He says. "You would at least be some help, and if I had something else I had to do, I could get you to run practice, that's usually what the captain does anyhow."

"Wait, I thought that Emily was captain." I say.  
>"Well, the team had thought about naming Emily captain after you got injured, but they decided that even though you got hurt you should still be captain. I was surprised by that. " He says.<br>"That's so sweet of them." I say. "I'll have to think about it though."

"I understand that." He says. "Hopefully, before the season is out you'll be able to play."  
>"I hope so." I say. "I go back in about three weeks to see what they are going to do about my leg."<p>

"That's good, maybe it will heal up fast enough." He says.  
>"Let's hope so." I say. My dad then finishes up a few more things, and it doesn't take him that much time. We then leave and head for home. When we get home, I go into the family room and start on some homework that I have. I have a few things that I have to catch up on, since I was out for three days, fortunately the teachers are very considerate. It doesn't take to long for me to finish up my calculus homework. I then move onto some more of my work. I then let out a sigh, it's not that everything is all that hard, but it is so time consuming. "Working on homework already?" Chris asks breaking my silence. "More like catching up." I say. "When did you get here?" "I just walked in." He says. "For a minute there, I thought that you were working on next week's work." "I would do that, but teachers won't let me do that anymore." I say.<br>"Yeah, and I on the other hand, keep it simple." He says. "I wait to the last minute to get things done." "And how is that working out for you?" I ask.  
>"Pretty good." He says.<br>"Well, procrastination is something that I try to avoid, but if it works, I say go for it." I say. "It doesn't always." He says. "But sometimes, I have no choice." "I know what you mean, between basketball and school, I used to barely have any time for anything." I say.  
>"At least now you have a break." He says.<br>"True." I say. "I guess that it was a blessing in disguise." "Maybe, I should get hurt so that I can get a break." He says.  
>"I don't think that, that would be such a good idea." My dad says. Evidently he overheard the conversation.<br>"Why not?" He asks.  
>"Well, you could blow your knee, like I did, and have a hard time doing anything that you really want to do." Dad says.<br>"True." Chris says. "I guess that I see your point."

"And besides, it stinks to have to be on crutches for about six weeks or so." I say.  
>"Yeah, it would be pretty annoying." He says.<br>"Exactly." I say. We all then carry on some small talk for a while and then Chris leaves. I then go to my room and grab a book off of my bookshelf and start reading. I then hear a knock on my door.  
>"Come in." I say. My mom then walks in. "So, I have a plan." She says.<br>"For what?" I ask.  
>"For telling your father about the baby." She says.<br>"Ok, what is it?" I ask. She then tells me her plan. It is a pretty good idea. "But aren't you afraid that he won't get it."  
>"I think that he will." She says. "And I'm going to tell him on his birthday, which is on Tuesday."<p>

"I think that maybe it would just be better, to simply tell him." I say.

"But, it would be more fun this way." She says. "Besides, I think that he will be really excited."

"I think so too." I say. "But probably more surprised than anything else."

"True." She says. "And the party has to go well too."

"We're doing it on Tuesday?" I ask.  
>"Yeah, I figured that we could just do something simple." She says. "Just because he's turning forty doesn't mean that we have to do something extravagant."<p>

"I agree." I say. "I think that he will like it better anyhow."

"Which is why we're doing it this way." She says. "But I'm going to need your help."  
>"Of course." I say. "Don't worry at least, I'm not busy with basketball."<p>

"That makes it better." She says. "Wait, is there practice on Tuesday?"  
>"I'm not sure." I say. I then look at the practice schedule on my phone. "No, not on Tuesday. I think that dad had planned on not having practice on that day, since it is his birthday." "That's good, but someone will have to keep him out of the house until seven." She says.<br>"Get Chad to." I say. "He could take dad to do something, for his birthday so that we could get things set up." "That's a good idea." She says. "See I really need you, my mind is so preoccupied with everything." "I do my best." I say. "Ok, I'll take care of the details." She says. "And if you need anymore help, just let me know." I say. "I will." She says. "You don't have to worry about that." I just laugh. We then just talk for a little while about random things. It is good to be able to get some one on one time with my mom. I really enjoy this, and I think that she does too.  
>"So, how are you feeling?" I ask.<br>"A little bit better." She says. "This morning sickness is awful, but at least the doctor was able to give me something for it."

"I'm surprised that dad hasn't figured it out yet." I say.  
>"Well, I was afraid that he would, but somehow he hasn't caught on yet." She says.<br>"That's weird." I say.  
>"Well, he's been so busy lately." She says. "Hopefully things will slow down soon."<p>

"Things should." I say. "At least for a while." "Yeah." She says. "It's sort of funny." I say. "You get rid of one kid and get another one."

"Yeah, but honey don't think of it like that." She says. "Yeah, you'll be leaving, but that doesn't mean we're getting rid of you."

"I know." I say. She then gives me a hug.

"Well, I'm getting really tired." She says.

"Alright, I'll see you in the morning." I say.  
>"Goodnight, sweetie." She says.<p>

She then leaves my room. I then go back to my book. After I am able to get through a chapter of the book, I hear a knock on my door. "Come in." I say. Zach then walks in. "Hey, what's up?"

"Nothing much." He says. "I have some news." He then sits down on my bed.  
>"What happened?" I ask.<br>"Well, you remember Hannah?" He asks.  
>"How could I forget her." I say.<br>"Well, I asked her to be my girlfriend." He says.  
>"You did?" I say. "Good job little brother! What did she say?"<br>"She said that she would love to be my girlfriend." He says.  
>"That's awesome." I say. "Now both of us are in relationships."<p>

"We'll have to double date sometime." He says.  
>"That sounds like a plan, but not right away." I say.<br>"I know, I was thinking about maybe when you got that cast off." He says.  
>"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." I say.<br>"I knew that you would be pretty happy having an update on Hannah and me." He says.  
>"Yeah, so does anyone else know?" I ask.<br>"Not yet, unless she's told anyone, I wanted you to be the first to know." He says.  
>"I feel so honored." I say.<br>"You should be." He says. "Besides, I knew that you would get mad at me, if you found out from someone else."

"True." I say. I then yawn.  
>"Are you tired?" He asks.<p>

"A little." I say. "But if you still want to talk, it's fine."

"That was about all I wanted to tell you." He says. "And besides, I'm getting a little tired myself."

"Ok, well goodnight." I say.

"Goodnight." He says. He then leaves and goes to his room. I then put my book up and go to sleep, I am really tired. It really has been a long day.


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks to all of you that have read my story! I really appreciate it. As always read and review :)

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><p><strong>Chapter Ten:<strong>

Today is my dad's birthday. I am happy for him, and I know that tonight, when mom tells him about the baby he's going to be more excited. I just hope that things go as planned. Chad is doing what he can to distract dad for a few hours, I'm not sure what they are doing, but I told him to keep dad out of the house until seven. Let's hope that it will happen as planned. I walk into the house after school, my mom has taken the day off so that she could get things set up, I then put down my stuff. "Mom, do you need any help?" I ask.  
>"I probably will, but I'm not sure what I need you to do." She says. "Hopefully the boys will get home soon."<p>

"Yeah, I feel bad that I can't help that much." I say.  
>"You're fine." She says. "There is something that you can do. I forgot to order a cake, but I think we have some cake mix or something, could you make up a cake." "I'll try." I say. "I'm not sure how it will turn out."<p>

"I meant to order a cake from the bakery, but for some reason it slipped my mind." She says.  
>"It's fine." I say. "I'll get to work on it right away." I then walk into the kitchen, grab a stool and start on the cake. I look around for ingredients and am able to find several things that can be used to bake a cake. I then use my phone and look up some cake recipes. I eventually find one that I should be able to make, and I'm hoping that it will turn out alright. After some time, I have made the cake batter, and have put it in the oven. I then begin making some frosting. Zach then walks into the kitchen.<p>

"I heard that you were making a cake." He says. "Do you need any help?"  
>"I think that I am good right now." I say as I finish up making the icing. "Could you put this in the fridge for me?"<p>

"Sure." He says. I then hand him the bowl. "Have you ever made a cake before?"  
>"From a box, yes." I say. "From scratch, no."<p>

"So, it is probably going to be bad isn't it." He says.  
>"No, I think that it should be alright." I say. "I followed the recipe."<br>"You probably won't even eat it, will you." He says.  
>"And you would be correct." I say.<br>"Maybe it will be alright." He says.  
>"Let's hope so." I say. I then wait for the timer on the oven to go off. Once it is done, I let it cool for about ten minutes and then start icing it. Once I am done doing that, I take a frosting pen and write 'Happy Birthday' on it. I then take a look at my work, I have to say it is pretty good since it is my first attempt at something like this, I just hope that everyone else likes it. I then clean up my mess, and then go to my room to get ready for the party. When I get upstairs, I look through my closet for something to wear. I know that it isn't a fancy party, but I don't want to look like a hot mess either. I then decide to wear my red dress. It is pretty simple, but cute. I then glance at myself in the mirror. It looks good, but my cast is such a huge eye sore. I just deal with it, and slip on a pair of ballet flats and then finish my outfit off with a simple pair of earrings. I then put on some lip gloss and am ready for the party. I then go downstairs, and see Taylor, Emma, and Chris sitting in the family room. Emma instantly runs over to my, and I pick her up. "Hey pretty girl." I say.<br>"Hey." She says. "Guess what, I lost my first tooth." "I see that, you are such a big girl." I say.  
>"Mom said that the tooth fairy is coming tonight." She says with glee. "I bet you're excited." I say. "I am." She says.<p>

"Yeah, the whole ride over here she kept going on and on about losing her first tooth." Chris chimes in.  
>"Chris, she's five, give her a break." I say. "This is something pretty exciting."<p>

"I guess, but she goes over board on everything." He says.  
>"I do not." Emma says sassily.<br>"Well, she is one sassy little girl." I say.  
>"Yeah, and that's nothing." Chris says. He then tickles Emma and she giggles and squirms around. "Stop, I can't breath." She says in while trying to catch her breath. Chris eventually stops. I then sit down, because I am about to lose my balance. A little while later other people arrive. All of my parents friends from high school come. Some of them I have only seen maybe once or twice, others I see quite often. The first to arrive is Jason and Martha, with their seventeen year old son Jagger and their five year old daughter Jemma. Just a few minutes later Ryan and Kelsi arrive with their ten year old daughter Olivia. I haven't seen Ryan and Kelsi in a long time, I guess they are really busy in New York with Ryan's choreography career on Broadway and with Kelsi composing music,<br>some on her songs have been used on Broadway. I think that it is pretty cool what they do. Some time goes by, it is almost seven and only about half of the people that were invited have arrived. It would be pretty bad if the others showed up at the same time as my dad did, it was supposed to be a surprise party and all. Maybe those people just decided not to show up. A few more minutes go by, it is five till seven. Then Sharpay walks in, I've heard a lot about her, but I'm guessing that since high school she has changed. She is holding her three year old daughter Emily, and her eight year old son Parker walks in behind her. Both of her children are so cute, especially Emily, she looks adorable. From what I have heard about Sharpay in the past few years, she was married to a guy named Peyton, who she meant while in New York, but about two years ago they filed for a divorce because of unresolved issues.I think that it is kind of sad that she is left taking care of two kids on her own while still trying to pursue her own dreams.  
>Ok, I think to myself, this must be all that is coming. Chris then walks over to me.<br>"Hey, do you know who half of these people are?" He says.  
>"Yeah." I say. I then tell him who everyone is.<br>"How do you remember all of these people?" He asks.  
>"I have a good memory, that's all." I say. "You must." He says. "That's one of the reason's that I like you."<p>

"You are so weird, but I like you despite that." I say.  
>"I'm glad that you do." He says. He then sits down beside me and we talk for a little bit longer. A few minutes then go by, and Chad sends a text letting us know that they are on the way. We then turn out the lights and wait for my dad and Chad to walk in. We hear the doorknob turn, and we get a little bit quieter. The lights then turn on and we all yell "Surprise". My dad is surprised that we were able to pull off a surprise party, he is usually pretty sneaky and we can't pull anything off. He then sees all of his friends from high school, and they all catch up with one another. I think that everything is going pretty well. Parker then walks over to me and says "You're hot." I am taken back for a second and I just smile.<br>"Thank you, Parker." I say.  
>"You know my name?" He asks.<br>"Yeah." I say.  
>"What's your name?" He asks.<br>"I'm Jessica." I say. "Well, I'll definitely be seeing you around sometime." He says. He then winks at me and walks off. I then giggle a little bit.  
>"That is one strange little kid." Chris says.<br>"He's eight." I say.  
>"Still, you're ten years older than him, he wouldn't stand a chance." He says. "I don't know." I say. Chris just looks at me. "I was kidding."<p>

"Sure." He says.  
>"Besides, I'm already taken, by a really great guy." I say.<br>"And who might that be?" He asks.  
>"Christopher Michael Danforth." I say.<br>"Please, don't use my full name, I think that it is weird." He says.  
>"Alright, I won't say it ever again." I say. "Good." He says. "So I heard that you ended up having to bake the cake."<p>

"It's probably awful." I say. "I've never done anything like that before."

"I'm sure that you did a good job on it." He says.  
>"Well, you'll see in a little while." I say with a smile. A few minutes go by, and I hear a knock on the door, so I walk over to the door and open it. "Gabriella?" The man asks.<br>"No, that's my mom." I say.  
>"Oh, I'm sorry, you look a lot like your mother." He says.<br>"And who are you?" I ask.  
>"I'm Zeke." He says. "I'm sorry that I am late."<p>

"It's fine." I say. I then let him into the house, and he finds my dad and they talk for a while.

"Who was that?" Chris asks.  
>"Zeke Baylor." I say. "He played basketball with our dads." "Oh, that's cool." He says. We then go and mingle with everyone. I find out more about everyone, it is pretty cool hearing stories about everyone in high school. I think that my dad is really liking spending time with many of his friends that he may only see one time a year or not even that often. I then sit down on the couch for a little while, and then my dad comes over and sits beside me. "So I heard that you planned most of this party." He says.<br>"Yeah, but it wasn't just me, it was my idea to invite all of your high school friends." I say.  
>"Thank you." He says. "I think that this the best party I've had in a long time." "You're welcome, I'm just glad that I was able to get them all to come." I say.<br>"I am too." He says. We all then continue mingling. We then have the cake, and I am happy that everyone actually likes it, even Zeke who went to culinary school. That is a relief, I thought that it was going to be awful. My dad then starts opening presents. Some of the gifts that he gets make him think about things that happened in high school. There is one gift left, it is the one from my mom. Hopefully he will get it, if not, she should have taken my advice, but we'll see. He opens up the gift, and inside there is a wildcats jersey. On the back it says Bolton 07. At first he just looks at it, it is the size for a baby to wear, and at first, I think that he probably is confused, but then he sees a letter that is in the box along with the jersey.  
>Wildcat, I couldn't think of a way to tell you this any better, but we're having another baby. Love you and happy birthday, Gabby. My dad then looks at my mom and asks "We're having another baby?"<br>"Yeah." She says. He just sits there for a second. I honestly think that he is shocked. My mom then walks off, I have feeling that she thought that he would be more surprised than this. I then go find my mom. She really wasn't that hard to find, I found her in the kitchen.  
>"Mom, are you alright?" I ask.<br>"I don't know." She says. "Maybe you're right, maybe I should have just told him."

"No, I just honestly think that he is shocked." I say. "He probably was thinking that Zane was going to be the last kid."

"I was too, and when I found out, I was speechless." She says.  
>"That's the same with dad." I say. "Just give him a minute to process it, I'm sure that he'll be thrilled."<p>

"I hope so." She says. "I guess that I overreacted."

"No, it's alright." I say. "It's all just hormones."

"Yeah, I guess that it is." She says. I then give her a hug, and dad walks in the kitchen.

"Do you mind if I have a minute?" He asks.  
>"Sure." I say. I then walk off and go back to where everyone else is.<p>

"Gabby, I'm sorry." He says. "I just was shocked. I thought that we had decided that we weren't going to have any more kids after Zane."

"I know." She says.  
>"But, sometimes life doesn't go as planned." He says. "And I really am happy."<p>

"You're just saying that." She says.  
>"No." He says. "I love you."<p>

"I love you too, Wildcat." She says. He then kisses her.

"So we're good now, right?" He asks after they break from the kiss.  
>"Yes, most definitely." She says.<p>

"We should probably get back to where everyone else is." He says.  
>"Or we could do something else." She says.<br>"Let's save it for after everyone leaves." He says.  
>"Ok." She says. They then walk back into the room hand in hand. When I see them, I am happy, at least everything worked out great. I just smile. Zach then comes over to me. "Did you know about mom being pregnant?" He asks.<br>"Yeah." I say. "She told me a few weeks ago."

"So you had to keep it a secret?" He asks.  
>"Yeah." I say. "But it wasn't that hard."<p>

"So how do you feel about everything?" He asks.  
>"I am happy for them." I say. "What about you?"<p>

"I guess I'm happy." He says. "It's just weird."

"I know, but change is a good thing." I say.  
>"Maybe you'll get the sister that you've always wanted." He says.<br>"Yeah, maybe, but it really doesn't matter." I say.  
>"Well, it would be pretty cool to have a little sister." He says. "Having an older one has been cool, so maybe a younger one would be cool too. "<br>"You never know." I say. "She could be a mess."

"I doubt that." He says.  
>"We'll see." I say. A little while later, everyone leaves and the party is over. Everyone else is cleared out of the family room, except for Chris. I then start cleaning up the decorations.<br>"Here, let me help." He says. He then starts helping me clean up.  
>"You don't have to do that." I say.<br>"I know, but I want to." He says.

"Ok, then of course it's fine." I say.

"You know, it's pretty cool that you're going to have another sibling." He says.  
>"I guess." I say.<br>"What's wrong?" He asks.  
>"Nothing." I say.<br>"Come on, I know that somethings up." He says.  
>"I'm fine." I say. "I'm happy for my parents."<p>

"I can see right through that." He says. "Just tell me what's wrong."

"Ok, well it is nothing to do with the baby." I say.  
>"Then what is it?" He asks. I then sit down and motion for him to sit down too.<br>"I got accepted to Stanford." I say.  
>"That's awesome." He says. "How is that a problem?"<br>"I'm afraid that when we go off to college it will separate us." I say.  
>"We'll take this thing one step at a time." He says. "Ok." I say.<br>"Are you alright now?" He asks.  
>"Yeah." I say with a smile.<p>

"You look tired." He says.

"I am." I say.

"Well, I'm going to go home." He says. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Ok, but you don't have to leave." I say.

"We have school tomorrow anyhow." He says.

"Alright, well I'll see you tomorrow." I say.

"I love you." He says.

"I love you too." I say. He then leans in to kiss me, at first I am hesitant, we haven't been dating that long, I'm scared. We kiss for a brief second. I then gasp.  
>"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." He says.<br>"It's alright." I say. "I've just never been kissed before." I then kiss him this time. It feels good to kiss him. When we break out of the kiss, we just look into each other's eyes. For a minute I am lost in his eyes. I just fell in love with him, but is it all too soon? "Well, I guess that I need to get going." He says. He then walks out. As he is walking down the steps, he looks back at me and almost falls. I giggle a little. He smiles and walks off to his car. I then close the door. I know that a smile is all over my face. I can't contain my excitement. Tonight was a great way to end a day. I just got my first kiss, and it feels great! I then walk up the stairs to my room. I feel like I am on cloud nine, it is the greatest feeling in the world. I feel like it has all been a dream, a wonderful, amazing,spectacular dream. It's a dream that I would never want to wake up from. I then pinch myself to make sure it isn't a dream. And it wasn't, I am happy. I finally feel like I am living in a fairy tale, and Chris is the prince and I'm the princess. It is amazing!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Surprises **

I lie in my bed. I am unable to sleep. I still am reliving my first kiss. It was weird, but it was a good kind of weird. It made me really happy. It is something that is hard for me to explain, but I wish that I had the words to express it. It makes me feel great. I then slowly drift asleep with the thoughts of Chris on my mind. It even brings a smile to my face. I couldn't have thought of a more perfect way to end a night than with a kiss.  
>Several hours later, I wake up. Something about today feels so great. I then get dressed for school. When I am ready, I go downstairs and get a cup of coffee. I still have a smile on my face. Both of my parents look at me in a weird way.<br>Finally, my dad breaks the silence. "Jess, are you alright?" He asks.  
>"I am wonderful." I say. "Everything is wonderful."<br>"This isn't like her." He says to my mom.  
>"She's in love." My mom says.<br>"How do you know?" He asks.  
>"I was like that the day after you first kissed me." She says.<br>"But that's not what is up with Jess." He says. "Wait, Jessica what happened last night?"

"Nothing, Chris and I took down the decorations, and we talked for a bit and he left." I say.  
>"Ok, good." My dad says. I just smile. I then look at my phone and see a text from Chris it says Good morning, did you sleep well?<br>That is so sweet that he was concerned if I slept well. I then send back Yeah, what about you? He then sends back I did. After some time I go on to school. I am hoping that I'll see Chris today. When I walk in, I don't see him standing where he normally is at. I then go over to my locker and attempt to carry my books while using crutches. A teammate of mine, Emily sees me and walks over to.  
>"Do you mind if I help you?" She asks.<br>"I wouldn't mind at all." I say. She then takes the books out of my hand. "So, how much longer will it be before you're off of the crutches?" She asks.  
>"I'm not sure." I say. "Probably about three or four more weeks."<br>"Well, at least you'll be able to play by the end of the season." She says.  
>"I know, I just hope that things go ok." I say. "There's a game tomorrow right?"<br>"Yeah, you should come." She says.  
>"I'll think about it." I say. "It is hard for me to watch a game that I could be playing."<p>

"I understand." She says.

"I might try and come, and maybe sit on the bench and cheer you guys on." I say.  
>"That would be awesome." She says. "Practice hasn't been the same since you got hurt."<p>

"I thought that things would be better." I say.  
>"Well, it's weird not having our captain there." She says. "I miss you."<p>

"I miss you guys too." I say. "It's just hard for me to not be able to play."

"I understand that one." She says. We then reach my class. She then hands me my books and I go to class.  
>"Thank you so much for your help, Emily." I say.<br>"You're welcome, it's no problem, and if you need more help, just let me know." She says.  
>"I will." I say. I then go into my class. It really was sweet of Emily. When I walk in, I see that Chris' seat is empty, I guess that I just got here a little early I think to myself. I then sit there and wait. Finally, the bell rings, and there is no sign of him anywhere. I guess he's not coming, but I wonder what's wrong. The rest of the day goes by slowly, I am worried about Chris, I haven't heard anything from him. When I am done for the day, since I have early dismissal, I go to find my dad. He is walking down the hall. "I was looking for you." He says.<br>"What's up?" I ask.  
>"I just got off the phone with Chad, he said that Chris was in a car accident." He says.<br>"Is he alright?" I ask.  
>"I'm not sure, right now he is in the hospital." He says. "I was about to go up there and check on him, do you want to come with me?"<p>

"Yeah." I say. "I hope that he's alright."

"Me too." He says. We then get into his car and head over to the hospital. When we get there, we find Chad at the entrance. He looks very concerned. "Is he alright?" I ask.  
>"He's unconscious right now, so the doctors really don't know." He says.<br>"How bad was the accident?" Dad asks.  
>"Well, his car is messed up pretty bad." He says. "But it was the other driver's fault from what I gather."<p>

"Well, at least is wasn't his fault." Dad says.  
>"Can we go see him?" I ask.<br>"Sure, but I don't think that he has come to." He says. We then walk through the hospital and go to Chris' hospital room. When I walk in, I am horrified by what I see. He is connected to all of these wires, and if I didn't know any better I would say that he is dead. I then walk out of the room for a second to regain composure. I don't want to cry in front of anyone. Once I make it out of the room, I let the tears expel from my eyes. After a few minutes, I go to the bathroom and fix my makeup. When I am done, I go back into the room. I see Chad and dad talking a corner of the room. I then see Taylor and Emma. Emma is too young to even understand what happened. I can see that Taylor's heart is broken. She's worried about her son. I then walk over to Taylor. "Hey." I say.  
>"Hey, I didn't realize that you were here." She says. I then can see her tear stained face.<br>"So what are the doctors saying?" I ask.  
>"Well, they can detect brain function, so its just up to him to wake up, which doctors think he will, but who knows how long that will be." She says. She then starts crying again. I then embrace her with a hug.<br>"He's strong, I know that he'll come through this." I say.  
>"Let's hope so." She says. "Do you want me to take Emma when I go home?" I ask.<br>"I'll need to think about it, but probably." She says.  
>"Ok, just let me know." I say. We then talk for a little while. Then a group of doctors come in, and want to run a couple of tests and we are asked to step out into the hallway. The whole time, I am hoping that he will wake up. I don't want anything to happen to him. I love him so much, I think that my life would be messed up without him. Sometime goes by and we end up leaving the hospital. I really didn't want to leave, but dad practically insisted on me needing to go home. So of course, I had to. I just hope so badly that he will wake up soon. Taylor told me that if he woke up so would call or text me to let me know. I lie in my bed. I can't stop thinking about him. I needed so desperately to know that he is fine, that he had woken up. Every single time that I closed my eyes, I could see him. I could see him lying there on that hospital bed, motionless. I knew that he was alive, but I needed to see his brown eyes. I needed to see his smile and hear his sweet voice telling me how much he loved me. I can barely sleep. Finally, by four o'clock, I've given up on sleep. I know that I won't get any. I then get up and go downstairs. I wrap up in my blanket and sit on the couch and turn the television on. I flip through the channels and find something on. I try to watch it, but all I can think about is Chris. I then look at my phone to see if maybe, just maybe, Taylor had called me, but she hadn't. I then bury my face into my blanket and cry for a ferw minutes. I just want to know that he is alright. It's hard for me to know that my best friend is in such critical condition. Finally, I guess my body has fought with tiredness and the tiredness wins, because I fall asleep. I feel the gentle nudge of my mother. I then open my eyes and she says "Sweetie, I know that you don't really want to get up, but you have to go to school." She says.<br>"I don't know if I can." I say.  
>"Honey, look you have to." She says. "All that I'm going to think about is Chris." I say. She then sits down on the couch beside me. I just put my head on her shoulder. "I don't know what to tell you." She says. I then start crying. She draws me closer to her, and tries to soothe me. "Did you sleep any last night?"<br>"I tried, but all I saw every time I closed my eyes was Chris, and I couldn't sleep." I say. "I finally fell asleep a little bit ago, but it was because I was so tired." "I promise you honey, he's going to be alright, the doctors said that when he wakes up, he may have minor brain trauma, but he should be alright." She says.  
>"But what if he isn't?" I ask. "Then what?" "Honey, don't think like that." She says. "Try to be possitive." "I'll try." I say. "That's my girl, now how about you go and get ready." She says.<br>"Ok." I say. I then give my mom a hug and get up and go to my room and start getting ready for school. For me, I think that it is going to be a pretty rough day knowing that Chris is the way that he is, and there is nothing that I can do. It is really hard for me, I would rather it be me in this situation, than him. Once I am ready, I go downstairs, I hope that no one brings up Chris, I really don't want to cry. I've cried to much already, I don't want to add to it. "Good morning." Zach says.  
>"Good morning." I say. I then get some coffee and sit down. "Did you sleep well?" He asks.<br>"Not really." I say. "But I'll be alright."

"Ok." He says. "So are you coming to our game tonight?" "I don't know." I say.  
>"You should." Caleb says.<br>"Zach has gotten a lot better." He says. "I'll think about it." I say. "I know dad can't come."

"Oh, yeah the girls have a game today." Zach says.  
>"Yeah." I say. "And Emily asked me to go to that game."<p>

"Well, family is more important than teammates." Caleb says.  
>"I never said a definite to her, and I won't give definite to you either." I say. "It will just depend."<p>

"Ok." Zach says. "We understand."

"Besides, there'll be plenty of other games." Caleb says.  
>"Yeah, and this game really isn't all that important anyhow." Zach says.<br>"Well, I'll definitely take that into consideration." I say.  
>"Now, she probably won't come. " Caleb says.<br>"I never said what I am doing." I say. "I'll let you know, later, trust me."

"Ok." He says. "Alright, well as fun as it is staying here just talking we all need to get going to school." I say.  
>"I guess that you're right." Caleb says.<br>"She is right." Zach says. We all then leave for school. When I get there, all that goes through my mind is Chris. I am so scared that everyone is going to ask about him or say something about him. I don't know, how I will react, and I don't want to cry in front of people. It is way to hard for me. When I walk into class I quietly sit there, and don't utter a single word. I listen to what the teachers have to say, and I write down everything, but my mind really isn't focused. All that I can think about, is Chris. It doesn't help any that the school day seems to be going by slower than molasses. I just want it to speed up. I keep checking my phone to see if Taylor has any updates, but she doesn't. Finally, when the bell rings, I get out of class and go to my dad's office. He hadn't heard anything from Chad, but then he gets a phone call from Chad. He steps out of the room and answers the phone call. I'm hoping that it is good news rather than bad news. I need to hear something good.

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><p><strong>So I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter! If you have any input that you would like to add feel free. Thank you to all of you that have read my fanfic so far. Please read and review :) <strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**So here's the next chapter. Thank you to all of you that have either viewed or Favorited this story! I hope that you enjoy this next chapter. Please R&R. **

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><p><strong>Chapter Twelve:<strong>

The look on my dad's face doesn't look to good. I am preparing myself for bad news. I don't know what is going on. "So what did Chad say?" I ask.  
>"Well," He says. "Chris woke up."<p>

"Really?" I ask. "Can we go see him?"  
>"Not right now, doctors are running some tests on his brain." He says.<br>"When can we go?" I ask.  
>"Chad said that probably in about an hour or so he should be done." He says. "But there's a chance he won't remember you."<p>

"But of course, he'll remember me." I say.  
>"I don't know, with brain injuries things happen." He says. "I just didn't want you to be hurt."<br>"I understand." I say. "So are we going to go home?"  
>"Yeah, I have one more things to take care of, and then that is it." He says. "I do have a game tonight, and so do your brothers, but if you want to go to the hospital, I can drop you off, and come back later and pick you up." "I kind of want to go to the game." I say.<br>"Really?" He asks. "I thought that you would want to be with Chris." "I do, but I can see him after the game." I say. "I have three brothers that want me to come to their game." "That was a very sweet thing of you to do." He says. "I am almost done here, and I think that your mom is going to their game. I'm sure that she could take you by the hospital, if not she can drop you off here and I'll take you."

"Thanks." I say. "It's no problem." He says. "I see Chris as a son, and I want to make sure he's alright."

"Well, you are his godfather." I say.  
>"True." He says. He then finishes up his work and we leave and go home. Mom is at home, she is working on some paper work. Dad walks over to her and says. "Gabby, you're working too much, I don't want you getting stressed out."<p>

"I'm fine." She says. "It's not that much, and it needs to be done for a case tomorrow morning."  
>"Just don't over work yourself." He says.<br>"I won't." She says. "I'm almost done." She then finishes the form quickly. "So are you going to the boy's game?" He asks.  
>"Yes, and you have a game that you are coaching tonight, right?" She asks.<br>"Yeah." He says. "I would rather go to their game, but at least I am not nearly as busy as I was last season."  
>"That's true." She says. She then looks at me and says "Jess, do you want to come with me?"<br>"Yeah, and after could we stop by the hospital to check on Chris?" I ask.  
>"Yeah, that should be fine." She says. "How's he doing?"<br>"He finally woke up from a coma." Dad says.  
>"That's good." She says. "Let's hope that he's alright." "Yeah me too." I say with a smile. "Well, I need to change, and I need to be back at the school soon." Dad says. He then goes to change his clothes. "So you're alright, right?" She asks.<p>

"I guess." I say. "I just want to know that he's alright."

"I understand." She says. "You really do love him, don't you?"  
>"Yeah." I say. "He makes me feel special."<p>

"Well, are you ready to go?" She asks.  
>"Yeah." I say. "What time does the game start?"<br>"In about thirty minutes." She says.  
>"I guess that we should go then." I say. We then leave and head to the school. When we get there, there isn't really that big of a crowd. I guess that a middle school game isn't all that popular, but to me it is awesome. I remember when I was there age playing basketball. It was always so much fun.'<br>We then find a seat and sit down. I really hope that they win tonight.  
>The team then runs out, and I see all three of my brothers. They each then see me in a crowd and wave at me. I wave back. They look really happy that I came to their game. The game then starts. By half time, I have to admit they really play very well. I'm so proud of them. The score is 30- 26, so I think that we will win, but it's hard to say what will happen. Zach then has the ball, and goes down the court, he then passes it off to Zane, who passes it off to Caleb who is near the goal. Caleb shoots and scores. The next fifteen minutes it goes back and forth. Either team could end up winning. Then Zach goes in for a layup and makes it within the final three seconds of the game. The game is then won! The crowd is cheering. I am so happy for them. Zach gets high fives from the team. Once they get away from their team, Zach runs over to me. "I'm glad that you decided to come tonight." He says.<br>"I am too." I say. "I would've missed that final shot. Good job, little brother."

"Thank you." He says. "I wish that dad could have been here."

"Well, I videoed the game, so he can watch it tonight." Mom says. "He wanted to be here tonight." "

Well, at least Jess came." Zane says.  
>"Yeah, and I'm glad that I did." I say.<br>"How's Chris?" Zach asks.  
>"He woke up about three hours ago." I say.<br>"I'm surprised you didn't go to the hospital." Caleb says.  
>"I knew how much you all wanted me to be at the game, and I was thinking that we all could go up to the hospital, if you want to." I say.<br>"That sounds like a good idea." Zach says. We then leave, and head to the hospital. I am filled with happiness when we walk into the hospital. I walk passed the front desk and then get onto the elevator and go to the fourth floor. When we get off, I show my mom, and brother's where Chris' room is at. We then walk in. I have a smile on my face. I then sit down beside Chris. "Hey, how are you feeling?" He asks.  
>"I'm fine." He says. "Who are you?" I think to myself, I'm his girl friend and best friend since day one.<p>

"I'm your girlfriend, Jessica." I say.  
>"I don't remember you, and I think that I would remember that we were dating." He says. I just look at Chad and he motions for me to come over to him. We then step into the hallway. "The doctor said that due to the head trauma that they believe that he is suffering from amnesia." Chad says.<br>"How long do they think that it will last?" I ask.  
>"They're not sure." He says. "Hopefully it will only last for a short amount of time."<p>

"I hope so." I say. "So does he remember anything?"

"Well, he remembers bits and pieces." He says. "I'm surprised that he didn't know who you were."

"It's ok." I say. "I'm just glad that I know, now. What can we do to help him remember things?"  
>"Well, the doctors said to take it slow, and over time introduce people and events to him." He says.<p>

"Ok, but hopefully, he'll regain his memory, right?" I say.  
>"Yeah, that's what we are hoping." He says.<br>"And when is he coming home?" I ask.  
>"Tomorrow, most likely." He says.<br>"That's good." I say. We then walk back into the room. I try to talk to Chris and help him remember me, but it is almost useless. I guess that it is alright though, at least he's still alive, that's all that matters. A little while later, we leave the hospital and go home. I am a little upset, because he honestly doesn't remember me, but he is just suffering from amnesia, so he should get his mind back at some point, or at least I hope so.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! Sorry for updating later than I had intended, but I hope that you all enjoy this chapter! :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 13:<strong>

The past few weeks have flown by. I am finally off of the crutches and I got the cast taken off. I am so glad! Chris has made some improvement, he finally has regained almost all of his memory. It gives me some peace of mind.  
>I also have been able to play basketball some. I still am having some problems, but I am slowly getting back to where I used to be. Fortunately, I am doing fairly well still. I walk down stairs of my house. I then see my brothers working on their homework. Zane looks at me and say "Jess, could you help me with this math?" He asks.<br>"Sure, let me see what it is first though." I say. I then sit down beside him and we start working on his homework.  
>A little while later, I get a text from Chris. It says 'Hey, do you want to hang out?'<br>I wait a few seconds and then respond by saying 'Sure, what do you want to do?'  
>He then sends back 'Maybe go see a movie or something. I'll be at your house in five minutes.'<br>I then send back 'Ok.'  
>I sigh and think to myself, are we ever going to end up like we were to begin with? If not, maybe eventually we'll get to that point. But I honestly don't know what is going to happen. I then go upstairs and fix my makeup, and pull my hair into a loose ponytail. I then walk downstairs just as he is pulling into the driveway. I then open the door for him and he walks inside.<br>"So how have you been?" He asks.  
>"Good, I guess." I say.<br>" That's good." He says.

"So how have you been?" I ask.  
>"Good." He says. "By the way you look beautiful."<p>

"I look awful." I say.  
>"No, no matter what you wear, you are still the most beautiful girl, I have ever met." He says.<br>"Chris, you are so sweet." I say.  
>"I try to be." He says.<br>"Well, you do a great job at it." I say with a smile.  
>"So, I was thinking, would you like to go to this new karaoke club that just opened up the other day?" He asks. "I saw it on my way to school the other day, and I thought that it would be fun."<p>

"Chris, I can't sing." I say.  
>"Yeah right." He says. "I know that your parents can sing, and if you're a product of them, then you can as well."<br>"That's not true, Caleb can't carry a tune to save his life." I say.  
>"Well, he's the exception." He says.<br>"I thought that you didn't like to sing." I say.  
>"I do, I just didn't want to tell anyone." He says.<br>"Then why are you now?" I ask.  
>"Because, I changed my mind." He says.<br>"You confuse me." I say. "But, I guess that it could be fun."

"And you'll actually sing, right?" He asks.  
>"I'm not making any promises, but you can go ahead and do whatever you want." I say.<br>"Ok, and if not, we can hang out and make fun of the people that can't sing." He says.  
>"That sounds like a good idea." I say. "I'll be right back, I need to grad a jacket and then we can go."<br>"Ok, take your time." He says. I then go upstairs and get a jacket and let my hair down and then go downstairs.

"Are you ready to go?" I ask.  
>"Yeah." He says. We then get into his truck and head to the karaoke club. I really don't want to do this, but I knew that it would make him happy, and I am all about people pleasing.<br>When we arrive at the place, he opens the door for me and I walk into the place. It does look pretty cool, and is suprisingly crowded, but then again, it is a Friday night, and I guess that people didn't have anything else better to do, so they just decided to hang out here. When we walk in, we sit at a table, and we order something to drink. "So, are you going to sing?" I ask.  
>"Probably not, unless you want to." He says.<br>"I've told you, I can't sing." I say.  
>"I still am doubting that." He says.<br>"Chris, I'm not that good." I say.  
>"Well, how about you prove that theory." He says.<br>"No, not with a bunch of people around." I say.  
>"See, that's what I thought." He says.<br>"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask.  
>"I knew that you weren't brave enough to perform in front of a crowded room of people." He says.<br>"It's not that I'm scared." I say.  
>"Uh huh." He says.<br>"You don't believe me do you?" I ask.  
>"What do you think?" He asks.<br>"I'll take that as a no." I say.  
>"And you would be correct." He says. "Come on, just one song, please. I'll even let you pick."<p>

"Really?" I ask.  
>"Within reason, I'm not going to sing some boy band song though."<p>

"Ah, man, because that's what I was going to pick." I say.  
>"Haha, you are too funny." He says.<br>"I try to be." I say.  
>"So will you sing with me?" He asks.<br>"I guess so." I say. He then drags me up to the stage and I select a song. I am really hesitant about singing in front of people, I don't sing in front of people, I only sing in the shower, and even then I am hoping that no one else will hear it, it would be bad if they did. When the music starts playing through the speakers, I feel my nerves getting all out of proportion, I then take a deep breath and start singing. When my portion of the duet is over for a minute, I am happy. I then hear Chris sing, he has the voice of an angel. He sings just as well as any popstar out there, but he would never want to pursue a career like that anyhow. He doesn't like the spotlight all that much.  
>After the song is over, we get a huge applause, people are even cheering for us. I just smile, and we then walk off.<br>"So you can't sing?" He asks.  
>"That really wasn't all that great." I say. "You on the other hand, were great."<br>"You were too." He says.  
>"You're just saying that." I say.<br>"No, you have a beautiful voice." He says.  
>"I'm definetly not as good as my parents." I say.<br>"You're right." He says. "You're better than they are."

"Thanks, but I don't think so." I say.  
>"If miss Darbus got wind of your singing ability she would beg you to audition for the school musical." He says.<br>"And she won't find out, because if she does, then you will also have to do it." I say.  
>"Ok, I won't say a word." He says. "But it could be fun."<p>

"If I remember correctly, you thought that, that would be a terrible idea to be in the school musical." I say.  
>"Well, a man can change his mind." He says.<br>"I suppose so." I say. "It's just I don't know what my dad would say, I mean he wants me to go pro, and I doubt that he would want me to do a ton of extra curricular things."

"He did theater, you know." He says.  
>"He didn't tell me that, at least not that I remember." I say.<br>"You should ask him about it." He says.  
>"Yeah, I think that I'll pass." I say. "But thanks for the advice." He laughs, and then pulls out his phone and sees what time it is.<br>"What time, do you have to be home by?" He asks.  
>"By eleven." I say. "But my curfew isn't really enforced."<p>

"Well, it's starting to get late, how about I take you home." He says.  
>"Ok, but you can stay for a while if you want to." I say.<br>"Ok, I think that I might just do that." He says. We then leave and go back to my house. When we walk inside, my parents are in the family room watching a movie together. We then go off to another room, and find my brothers playing video games.  
>"So what do you want to do?" I ask.<br>"I don't know." He says. "You?"  
>"How about we go out to the tree house, that we used to play in when we were younger." I say.<br>"It's still there?" He asks.  
>"Yeah." I say. "Come on." I then grab his hand and we walk outside and climb up to the tree house. I will admit, it has been a long time since I have been up here, but it's kind of cool. "Hey, do you remember when we shared our first kiss up here?" He asks.<br>"Yeah, but I don't count that as our first kiss." I say. "I was four and you were five."

"I counted it." He says.  
>"We were young." I say. "We didn't even know what a kiss was."<p>

"Now we do." He says.  
>"Yeah, because we aren't as young as we once were." I say. He then walks around for a minute and finds a picture of us from when we were younger.<br>"Do you remember this?" He asks as he shows me a picture of the two of us.

"No, do you?" I ask.  
>"Yeah, it was taken on my fifth birthday." He says.<br>"Oh, yeah the one with the bouncy house." I say.  
>"Yeah, I used to love the way that you used to wear your hair." He says.<br>"In a braid?" I ask.  
>"Yeah, I always thought that you looked gorgeous like that." He says. "Not that you don't now." I just smile.<br>"I knew what you meant." I say. I then begin to shiver.  
>"Are you cold?" He asks.<br>"A little." I say. He then pulls off his jacket and puts it on me. "Thank you, but are you sure that you won't be cold."

"I'm fine." He says. "You're more important to me anyhow." "You are too sweet." I say. "I'm glad that we are together."

"I am too." He says. He then kisses me. It feels so magical, I really feel like I am in love with him. He is the best guy in the entire world!


	14. Chapter 14

**_So, here's the next chapter, I hope that you all enjoy! Thank you to all that have been reading my story! Also thank you to everyone that has been following my story, or has Favorited it!_**

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><p><strong>Chapter 14:<strong>

I look up from my book, that I have been reading for quite some time, and I see Zane standing in my room. "Hey little man, what's wrong?" I ask.  
>"I had a bad dream, could I stay in here?" He asks.<p>

"Sure." I say. "Do you want to tell me what it was about?" He just shook his head for no. "You want to know something? I used to get bad dreams all the time when I was your age."

"You did?" He asks.  
>"Yeah, I used to have to bother mom all the time, but then one night, I realized that what is in my dreams weren't something that was actually happening , and there is no reason to be scared." I say.<br>"Can I still stay in here though?" He asks.  
>"Yes, of course you can." I say. I then slide over so that he can get into my bed. "So, do you think that you will be able to sleep?" "Yes." He says. "Good, and if you need me, you can wake me up, it will be fine." I say.<br>"Ok." He says. "Thank you Jess."  
>"You are welcome." I say. "Goodnight, Zane." "Goodnight Jess." He says. I then turn my lamp off and book my book up. After a few minutes I fall asleep, and I think that Zane finally did too. Before I know it, it is ten o'clock in the morning, I then roll over and see that Zane has left. I then get up and go downstairs. When I get down there I see everyone in my family watching a movie.<p>

"Good morning,sleepyhead." My dad says.  
>"Good morning." I say as I sit down beside Zach.<p>

"I need to tell you something." Zach whispers in my ear.

"Ok, do you want to go somewhere else?" I ask. He nods his head, and I then follow him into another room. "So what's up?"

"Well, last night, Hannah broke up with me." He says.

"Wait, what?" I ask. "She broke up with you?"

"Yeah." He says.

"Why?" I ask.  
>"Well, she said that she was annoyed with me always playing basketball, but I think that I know the real reason." He says.<br>"And what's that?" I ask.  
>"My friend Jake, told me that he saw Hannah and Michael, her ex boyfriend, together and they were being very friendly." He says.<br>"Oh, that stinks." I say. "I'm sure that you'll find someone else that is better."

"I hope so." He says. "Well there is this new girl at the school, her name is Danielle, and she was flirting with me the other day. She is so pretty."

"Oh, well you move on fast don't you." I say.

"I can't help it, if girls are into me." He says.

"Well, aren't you a ladies man." I say.

"Anyways, I have a game tonight. Are you going to come?" He asks.

"Probably." I say. "I don't have any other plans, or at least not that I know of."

"Good, then I will be looking for you, and Danielle in the stands." He says.

"Someone has a crush." I say.

"Yeah, I guess I do." He says. "But Hannah doesn't need to know that."

"I won't tell her." I say. "Besides, she apparently has moved on."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." He says.

"Yeah, but just keep it between us that I give good advice, I don't want everyone coming to me." I say.

"Ok, I won't tell anyone." He says.

"Ok, well I need to probably change, just in case people randomly show up at our house, because that always seems to happen." I say.

I then walk away and go upstairs to my room. I then change out of my pajamas. A few hours later, my family and I go to my brother's basketball game. When I get there, I see Chad, Taylor, Emma, and Chris standing there waiting on us. As soon as Emma sees me, she runs over to me. I then pick her up. "Hey, cutie." I say.

"Chris is being a jerk." She says.

"And why is that?" I ask.

"He told me, that I wasn't your favorite person." She says. Chris then walks over to us.

"Why would he say that?" I ask.

"I told him that I was your favorite, but Chris said that he was." She says.

"Oh, he did?" I say I then glance over at Chris and he just laughs. "Well, I'll let you in on something, you're my favorite little girl in the entire world." Emma then sticks her tongue out at Chris. I then let her down and she skips off.

"So, I was thinking after the game maybe we could go on a date." He says.

"Yeah, that would be fine." I say. "We could just even go over to my house and watch a movie, just the two of us, if you would rather do that."

"I like that idea." He says with a smile. "I guess that we should find some seats before the game starts though."

"Yeah, I think so." I say. "My brother's might get mad at me, if I didn't actually watch there game." He then laughs and we find a seat. The game goes by pretty fast, and they won, which makes me happy. When the game is over we all go and get something to eat. We had to get two tables, so Chris and I are with Zach and Caleb.

"You guys played really great out there tonight." Chris says.

"Thank you." Zach says. "I really have to owe it to Jess though. She's the one that has helped me the most."

"She is good at helping people out." Chris says. "So how are things going with you and Hannah?"

"She broke up with me the other day." Zach says.

"That stinks, man." He says. "I'm glad that your sister hasn't broken up with me yet."

"I wouldn't do that to you." I say with a smile.

"You two are so weird." Caleb says.

"You're just mad because you haven't found anyone yet." Chris says.

"And I know that you will someday, Caleb." I say.

"We'll see." He says.

"I might could help you out, if you want." Chris says.

"I'll think about it, but I probably will be enlisting your help." He says.

"Ok, whenever you are wanting some help, just text or call me." Chris says.

"I will." He says.

"And if you want help too, Zach I would be willing to help you out too." Chris says.

"I have someone that I like right now, actually." Zach says.

"Boy, you move on way too fast." Chris says.

"It's the girls that are the ones that get all emotionally involved and then don't know what to do when they have a break up, not the boys." I say.

"True, I guess that you're right." Chris says. "So how is Hannah dealing with the breakup?"

"Oh, I think that she has clearly moved on, back to her ex boyfriend." Zach says.

"That stinks." Chris says. "Not only did she break up with you, but she moved on like that."

"Yeah, I know." Zach says. "But I think that there is this new girl at school that is into me."

"Danielle?" Caleb asks.

"Yeah." Zach says.

"Danielle, the brunette? If so she is hot." Caleb says.

"I know. " Zach says.

"You should definitely go for her, because if you don't I might just do it myself." Caleb says.

"Well, at least you do have some decency, to let Zach have her first." I say.

"I know, I'm such a great person." Caleb says. I just laugh and then take a sip of my drink.

"So, I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to go."Chris says.

"Well, I have a feeling that my ride won'y be ready to leave any time soon." Caleb says.

"I can take ya'll home, if you want." Chris says.

"Ok, I'll let my dad know." Zach says. Then him and Caleb walk off.

"So do you still want to watch a movie?" Chris asks.

"Yeah, but I was wanting it to just be us." I say.

"Well, it could still just be us." He says. "I'm sure they are exhausted."

"And they both need a shower." I say.

"See, so we can still have some time to ourselves, if you still want to." He says.

"Yeah." I say. We then leave the restaurant and go back to my house. Fortunately, my brothers leave us alone, and we go downstairs to our movie room, and I put in a movie and we sit down on the couch and watch it. At some point during the movie I get cold, so I snuggle up close to Chris. I'm thankful to have such a great boyfriend that we can watch movies and do things together. We both enjoy being together no matter what we do, whether we go to a basketball game or it is the two of us watching a movie. After a little while, the movie goes off.

"I love spending time with you." I say.

"Me too." He says. "And I love you."

"I love you too." I say with a smile.

"Well, as much as I would love to just stay here all night long, I can't I need to get home." He says. "Maybe we can do something tomorrow or sometime."

"Ok, that sounds good." I say. "I'll walk you out."

"Ok." He says. We then get up and walk upstairs to the front door. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Chris." I say. He then kisses me. After we have embraced with a kiss, he leaves and heads home. I then walk back inside and go upstairs to my room and fall asleep with thoughts of Chris on my brain. He is the best guy that I could have ever dated in my whole life. Who knew that after being friends for seventeen years that we would be dating. It seems like something out of a roman novel or a fairy tale.


	15. Chapter 15

_Hey guys! So here is the next chapter, it isn't very long but I hope that you all enjoy! _

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><p><strong>Chapter 15:<strong>

Before I knew it, midterms were about to begin. I feel like lately all I have done is study, study, follwed by studying some more. My brain feels like I can't hold anymore knowledge. It is so annoying. I then look up from my books and see Chris standing there in the library. "I thought that I would find you in here." He says.  
>"Well, it is the quietest place in the school, and with midterms vastly approaching I need to use every opportunity to study." I say. "You also need to chill and relax." He says.<br>"Maybe later." I say. I then go back to my chemistry notes.  
>"No, come on, you need a break." He says. "Let's go to the gym and play some basketball."<p>

"But what about studying." I say.  
>"No, come on." He says. He then grabs me by the hand and leads me to the gym.<p>

"Chris, I really need to study, and so do you." I say.

"Jess, you need to take a chill pill." He says. "Just relax, and do the thing that you love doing."

"Fine, I'll be leaving now then." I say.

"No, basketball." He says. He then tosses a ball to me. "You can't leave until you have made ten shots in a row."

"That shouldn't be too hard." I say. I then go in for a layup and Chris intercepts and steals the ball and takes it down to the other end of the court. "Christopher Michael Danforth, I thought that I was just supposed to get ten shots and then leave."

"Jessica Renee Bolton, that would be too easy. " He says.

"Shoot, I forgot that you knew my middle name." I say.

"Yeah, let's just face it, you won't be leaving anytime soon with an attitude like that." He says. I then attempt to the steal the ball from him and it is to no avail. He then goes in for a layup and makes it. He then tosses me the ball and I dribble down court and go in for a layup and make it this time. The game keeps going on for a while, and I just have one more to make. I then go in for a layup and I accidently trip, but fortuantly I make the layup. Chris then runs over to me to make sure that I am alright.  
>"Are you ok?" He asks.<p>

"Could you help me up?" I ask. He then extends out his hand, and I take hold of it and then pull him down and he falls. He then laughs, which then makes me laugh too.

"I should have seen that one coming." He says.

"Yeah, you really should have." I say. We both then get up. "Well, I don't know about you but I'm going to go study now, and you are more than welcome to join me."

"You're no fun." He says. I just ignore him and walk off to the library. He follows me like a puppy dog and I sit down and begin studying some more.

"Oh, so you decided to join me after all?" I ask.

"I don't know." He says.

"Well, I am just going to hang out here for a couple of minutes and then I am going to go home." I say. "But you can do whatever you want."

"Ok." He says. "Would you mind if I studied with you?"

"Not at all." I say. "That is what I was trying to offer you earlier."

"I'm glad that you did." He says. "My parents will get so mad at me if I don't do well on these midterms."

"I know the feeling." I say.

"But you are miss straight A's student, you have nothing to worry about." He says.

"Yeah, I do." I say. "I need to make good grades if I still want to be able to go to Stanford, or wherever end up going."

"That's true, but you're the smartest person that I know." He says.  
>"Thanks, Chris." I say. We both then study for a little while longer. After a bit we leave the school and go to my house. "So what do you want some help with?"<p>

"It doesn't matter." He says.

"Do you need help in Chemistry?" I ask.

"Yeah." He says.

"Ok, well let's start there." I say. I then grab his book and look through some of his notes. "Ok, so what is the chemicals combined to make water?"

"Well, it's H2O, and H is hydrogen and O is oxygen so I'm guessing that it is two molecules of hydrogen and one molecule of oxygen." He says.

"Good job!" I say. "Now let's move on to something harder." We then continue studying and after a while, I think that he has mastered chemistry pretty well.

"Thank you so much." He says.

"It's no problem." I say. "I like to help people, especially my boyfriend."

"I appreciate it, especially when it's my beautiful girlfriend helping out." He says. I just smile and snuggle up to him."Do you want to take a break?"

"I guess so." I say. "We've done a lot today."

"Ok, how about a movie?" He asks.

"Ok, but this time it's my pick." I say.

"Ok, but no sappy chick flick." He says.

"I won't, don't worry." I say. "Come on." We then go down to the movie room and put on a movie.

"You want to know something?" He asks.

"Sure." I say. "You are the best girlfriend that anyone could ever ask for." He says. I just blush.

"Thank you, and you're are the best boyfriend, in the entire world." I say. After I say that, all of my brothers walk into the room.

"Hey, I didn't realize that anyone was down here." Zach says. "Hey Chris."

"Hey guys." Chris says.

"I'm sorry that they barged in like that." I say.

"It's cool." He says.

"We were about to play some video games, do you want to join us?" Caleb asks.

"I wouldn't mind, Jess do you want to?" Chris asks.

"You can, but I'm going to go upstairs and study some more." I say.

"Ok." Chris says. I then walk off and go on upstairs. When Iget up there, I see my parents they look so in love and I think that it is really cute. I then grab one of my books off of the table and go to my room and start studying for my english exam. A little while later, I hear a knock on my door. I then see my mom walk in.

"Hey, sweetie, is something wrong?" She asks.

"No, I'm fine." I say quickly without looking up.

"I know you well enough to know that some thing is going on." She says. "Now you can either tell me, or I'll end up figuring it out anyhow."

"I'm just stressed out with school." I say.

"There's no reason to be, it's your senior year, you should be having fun and making memories, not being stressed out because of exams." She says.

"Yeah, but I feel like it's the only thing that I'm good at." I say.

"Honey, you are good at so many things." She says. "You are an excellent student, you are great at basketball, and I'm sure that there are other things out there that you are incredible at, but being stressed out all the time isn't going to help anything."

"But, you were a super genius, I feel sometimes like I have to live up to that." I say.

"Sweetie, you are so smart, you far surpass me, and there is no reason to compare yourself to anyone." She says. "You are amazing exactly the way you are. Do you think that Chris would like you if you were anything but the way that you are now?"

"I guess not, and all day he was trying to get me to chill." I say.

"See, even he knew that you needed to just relax, you have absolutely nothing to worry about." She says.

"And besides your mom and I have you back one hundred percent." Dad says.

"How long have you been standing there?" I ask.

"Pretty much the whole time." He says. He then walks in and sits down beside my mom on my bed. "I'm sorry if I may have put any unnecessary pressure on you, if I did it wasn't something that I intended on doing. There is no reason for you to be all stressed, I know that midterms are important, but that's not going to keep you out of Stanford if that's what you are worried about."

"I guess that you're right." I say.

"He is, trust me, before I met your dad I felt like I always had to put all of this pressure on myself, but the thing is all you have to be is yourself, that's really all that matters. And I'll be honest whether you make A's or C's we'll still love you." My mom says.

"Yeah, even though we know that you are more than capable of making A's." Dad says.

"The point is, just do your best, and we will be proud of you no matter what." She says.

"Thanks, I needed to hear that." I say. I then give both of my parents a hug.

"You're welcome." My mom says.

"And don't feel like you're bugging us if something is on your mind, that's what we are here for." He says.

"I'll keep that in mind." I say. We then carry on some small talk for a while. After a while it is beginning to get late.

"Jess, you probably should be going to bed." Dad says.

"Dad, it's only ten o'clock, I'm not a little kid." I say.

"Well, let me put it this way, I'm tired." Dad says.

"Well, then go onto bed." I say. "I'm not really that tired."

"Jess, maybe this is why you're stressed out, you're going to bed late and getting up early." He says.

"Were you a night owl when you were my age?" I ask.

"Yeah." He says. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Dad, I'm like how you were when you were in high school." I say. "So hopefully you'll understand."

"I guess that I do, but don't let your brothers know that I'm letting you stay up as late as you want." He says.

"Deal." I say. "Besides, all I'm going to do is read anyhow."

"Ok, well if you wake up in the morning cranky and exhausted, then your mom and I will have to set a time for you to go to bed." He says.

"Ok." I say. "Good night, dad."

"Good night, sweetheart." He says. He then leaves my room. I then change my clothes and climb into bed and start reading a book. Eventually, I drift off to sleep. A couple of hours later, I wake up. I then stare at my phone and see that it is two o'clock in the morning. I sigh, and try to fall back asleep, but it is to no avail. I finally get up and go downstairs and get a glass of water thinking that maybe that will help me sleep. After some time, I go back to my room and look at my phone and see that I have a text from Chris that says: 'Sorry, I ditched you to hang out with your brothers.' I then send back: 'It's alright, they enjoy spending time with you.' I then roll over in my bed and eventually I finally fall asleep. It feels great to finally be able to sleep. But before I realize it, my alarm goes off with the obnoxious noises that it makes on a daily basis. I then hit the button to turn off the repulsive noise. I then groan and get out of bed. I then start getting ready for school. I quickly put on some makeup and then pull my naturally curly hair back with bobby pins. I then put on a pair of red skinny jeans paired with a white tank top and a long sleeved black cardigan. I then put on a pair of black Toms, and I finish off my outfit with a pair of silver earrings and a necklace with my initials on it. I then put on some lip gloss and I am ready to go. I then go downstairs and see my brothers and dad sitting in the kitchen eating breakfast. "Where's mom?" I ask.  
>"She had to go into work early." Dad says.<p>

"Oh, ok." I say as I get a cup of coffee. "Dad, do you want anymore coffee?"

"I think that I'm good right now, but thank you though." He says.

"You're welcome." I say. I then sit down beside Zane. "So did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, sort of." He says. "I didn't have any bad dreams last night."

"That's good." I say. "See I told you."

"And you're right." He says. "Did you sleep well?"

"Kind of." I say. "I'm a light sleeper though anyhow."

"Oh." Zane says. We then continue talking for a while, and then after a little bit, I head onto school. I just hope that today doesn't end up stressing me out as much as yesterday did, and besides today is the start of my exams. Fingers crossed that I am ready for them! When I walk into the school, I go straight to my first period class and wait patiently for Mrs. Faulkner, my English teacher to pass out the exam. When I first glance at it, it looks really hard, but I pace myself through it.  
>I take it one question at a time, and it ends up not being really all that bad. In fact, it is almost easy, and usually Mrs. Faulkner's tests are far from easy. After a little while, I make it to the last page of the test, it is an essay question. I then start writing to answer the question that is posed, after I have written a page and a half, I look back at it, and then turn my test in. The rest of the day goes by quickly and before I know it, it is time for basketball practice. I am glad that I had practice today, it gives me time to clear my head and help me to feel better. In reality, I guess that there is no reason for me to stress more than is absolutely necessary, because it just is not worth it in the long run.<p> 


	16. Chapter 16

_Hey guys, so I finished this chapter a little bit earlier than I had anticipated and I thought that I would go ahead and share it with you all! I hope that you enjoy!_

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><p><strong>Chapter Sixteen:<strong>

The week of tests flew by so fast, thank goodness. I thought I was going to go insane from all the stress and pressure. I even did well on my exams too, I guess all that studying paid off in the long run, and I think that Chris did well too. After midterms are over, I am so glad. Fortunately, I get out of school for almost three weeks-thank goodness-, which I think is great, of course. It is just a couple of days until Christmas, and also not too far away from my eighteenth birthday, which I am super excited about. I think that it is going to be great! Especially now that I don't have anything stressing me out. I finally now feel like I can breathe a huge sigh of relief. When I walk in the door of my house, I find my mom at home unusually early. I find this quite strange, she usually is not home until almost five and sometimes it is even later than that.  
>"I'm surprised to see you home." I say.<p>

"Well, I thought that I would get some Christmas presents wrapped, before anyone got home." She says. "Besides, things were slow at work."

"Do you want any help?" I ask.

"Sure, you can wrap some of Caleb's presents, they are over there." She says as she points to one of the piles that she has labeled. I then start wrapping some of my brother's gifts for her.

"So are you going to find out what the gender of the baby is?" I ask.

"I think so, I have an appointment at four and your dad and I are going to go to it together." She says. I am so excited to find out if I am having a little brother or sister. Not that it really matters any, but I would love to have a little sister. I think that would be so cool.

"Are you going to tell us?" I ask with enthusiasm.

"Probably. We might. get some name suggestions for you guys." She says.

"Well, I will definitely help you out with that." I say.

"I know that you will." She says. "Oh, since you don't have practice today, do you mind picking your brother's up at 4:30 from there practice?"

"I can do that." I say.

"Good, thank you so much." She says. "I don't know what I would do without you." I just smile and help her finish up wrapping some presents for her. After some time has gone by, it is about time for my mom to leave. "Alright, well I'm going to need to get going, I'm meeting your dad at the school."

"Ok, and I won't forget to pick up the boys from school." I say.

"Ok, I'll see you later." She says. She then leaves and heads off to the school. I then finish up what I was doing and clean up the mess. Before I know it, it is time to pick up my brother's from practice. When I get to the school, I walk in and catch the last few minutes of their practice. When they are done, Zane walks over to me. "Hey, did you have fun?" I ask. He then gives me a hug, and he is so sweaty, it is kind of gross.

"Yeah." He says.

"So are you ready to go?" I ask.

"Yeah, but we have to wait on Zach and Caleb." He says.

"I know." I say. "And it might be a bit before Zach is ready to go." I say this as I see him talking to a dark-headed, really pretty girl. They seem to be having a good time together. I think that it is so sweet.

"Yeah, that's Danielle." Zane says.

"Oh, that's the girl he was telling me about." I say.

"Yep, he goes on and on about her." He says. "It is so annoying." I laugh.

"He must really like her." I say with a smile. "If you want to put your stuff in my car, you can it may be a while before we are able to leave."

"Ok, can I have the keys?" He asks.

"Yes, but please don't lock them in my car." I say as I hand the keys to him.

"I won't." He says. He then runs off to get his stuff and takes it to my car. Zach then walks over to me.

"Hey." I say.

"Hey, did you see me talking to that girl?" He asks.

"Yes, Zane told me that, that was Danielle." I say.

"Yeah, well she is the best girl in the entire world." He says.

"Whoa, tiger, don't get ahead of yourself too fast." I say.

"I know, I know." He says. "But I think that I'm in love."

"You don't even know what love is." I say. "You're too young. I barely know what love is."

"Well, I can tell that you and Chris are in love with each other." He says.

"What makes you think that?" I ask.

"It's the way that you both look at each other." He says. "I see it in the way you smile every single time that you think about him, or talk about him."

"I really do like him, but I don't know if I would say that I am in love." I say. "Maybe I could phrase it as, I deeply care about him."

"Well, whatever it is, you both have it." He says.

"And some day you will too, and maybe you'll end up with Danielle." I say. "Who knows."

"Well, I hope to at some point." He says. "I just want to get to know her a little bit better before I ask her to be my girlfriend."

"That's a good idea." I say. "Where's Caleb?"

"Talking to his girlfriend." He says.

"Ok." I say. "Wait, he has a girlfriend, when did this happen?"

"A couple of days ago." He says. "Her name is Bridget, she's a cheerleader."

"Oh, I'm surprised that he didn't tell me." I say. My little brother is growing up I think to myself.

"He probably didn't think about it." He says.

"I guess that you are right." I say.

"I'll see if I can get him to hurry up." He says. He then walks off. Zane then comes back into the gym.

"What took you so long?" I ask.

"I had a bunch of people talking to me." He says.

"Alright, Mr. popular." I say, he then tosses me my keys. "Thank you."

"See, I told you that I wouldn't lock them in the car." He says. I let out a light giggle.

"Good job." I say. "Now, if we could get out of here that would be awesome."

"We could just leave them." Zane says.

"I wish, I could just leave for a second and go get coffee and then come back and I bet that they still wouldn't be ready." I say.

"You're probably right." He says. My grandfather then walks over to us.

"Jess, I'm surprised to see you here." He asks. He coaches my brother's basketball team.

"I was coming by to pick up Zane, Caleb, and Zach." I say.

"I could've have brought them home for you." He says.

"It's fine, I just wish that Zach and Caleb would hurry up." I say. "I'm tired and want to get home."

"I understand that one." He says. "Oh, it looks like they are ready to go."

"Good." I say as I see them both walking this way. "It was nice seeing you."

"You too." He says. He then walks off.

"Let's go." I say. "Because I'm super tired." We then all go to my car and head home. "So when were you planning on telling me that you have a girlfriend?"

"I don't know." Caleb says. "Who told you?"

"Zach." I say.

"Of course he would blab it." Caleb says.

"Sorry, I didn't know that you wanted to keep it a secret." Zach says.

"It's fine." He says.

"So, how about you tell me about her." I say.

"Well, her name is Bridget, and she is a cheerleader." He starts with. "She is blonde and is about 5'2 with blue eyes. She is also pretty smart, and so sweet."

"She seems like a great girl." I say.

"She really is." He says. "I think that you would like her."

"Well, maybe at some point I will get to meet her." I say.

"I hope so." He says. I then pull into our driveway and park my car in the garage.

"Ok, so do ya'll have homework?" I ask.

"No, it's break, what teacher would give us homework." Caleb says.

"Ok, I was just checking." I say. "Good grief, you make it seem like I asked the dumbest question in the world."

"Well, you kind of did." He says.

"Ok, I'm sorry." I say.

"So do you know what mom and dad got us for Christmas?" Caleb asks.

"No." I say. "And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you anyhow. It ruins the surprise."

"Oh, you're no fun." He says.

"Well, you only have four days until you'll find out what you got." I say.

"Actually, if you want to get technical it is three days until Christmas." He says.

"Ok, whatever." I say. I then go upstairs to my room, and start reorganizing some of my stuff. I like to, from time to time to get rid of stuff and give it to charity, especially around this time of year, because I know that I will get more stuff then I have room for. I then grab a box from the top of my closet and put a couple of items into it. I then go through some of my clothes and pull out a few things that I either don't wear or can't wear anymore. After a while, I have a box full of things that I can donate to a thrift store nearby. I then take out a sharpie and write on it in big letters donations. I then put the box down and keep looking around for anything else. When I am done, I bring the box downstairs and put it in my car so that I can take it later to a thrift store. I then come back inside and see my parents cars pulling into the driveway simultaneously. I wonder if they will tell us what the gender of our new sibling will be, I secretly hope that it is a girl, but I am not going to complain if it is yet again, another boy. I guess that would be good for the boys, especially since I will be going away to college. I guess really in the grand scheme of things it really will not matter anyways. I can always be hopeful though!

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><p><strong><em>So I know that you all want to know the gender of the baby. Well...you will be able to find out in the next chapter! I'm curious what your thoughts are. Until next time! And as always even though I totally wish I owned high school musical, I don't.<em>**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17:**

When mom and dad finally walk in the door, I am excited to find out if I am going to get a little sister, or yet another little brother. I really want to know, but I don't want to be super annoying, if I ask, but at the same time, I really want to ask. What should I do? Should I ask? Or should I let them tell me themselves? I don't know what to do, I am so conflicted, and it is driving me crazy! Zane then walks into the room.  
>"So, mom did you find out what the baby is going to be?" He asks.<p>

"Yes." She replies.

"Are you going to tell us?" He asks.

"Hold your horses, Zane, we are going to tell all of you soon." Dad says. "I promise."

"Ok, I just hope that it is a boy." He says. He then walks off to another room. I think that it is funny that we all have different ideas. Zane and Caleb are on the same page, and then Zach and I both want a little sister. I know why I do, but I am kind of surprised that he does as well. I guess that eventually, we will all know, and it is sort of exciting, but I hate anticipation, it annoys me so much.

"Thank you again for picking up your brothers, Jessica." Mom says.

"It was no problem, I didn't have anything else to do anyhow." I say.

"By the way, we have practice in the morning." Dad says.

"Dad, seriously." I say. "How early?"

"Ten o'clock." He says. "I knew better than to make the practice super early on the first day of break."

"Good, is it mandatory?" I ask.

"Yes." He says. "I have the practice schedule, if you want to look at it, we still have games even though we are on break, so I didn't want us to not practice at all."

"I figured that you would do that to us." I say. "But I understand why you did it."

"Good, I just hope that the other girls won't be mad at me." He says.

"I don't think that they will." I say. "And if they are, then they will just have to get over it."

"I agree with you on that." He says. I then glance at the practice schedule.

"Thank you for not putting practice on my birthday." I say.

"I had considered having practice that day, but with it being New Year's Eve, I had a feeling that no one would show up anyhow." He says.

"You're probably right." I say. "Plus it is a holiday."

"True." He says.

"Well, I think that I'm going to practice some outside, dad do you want to join me?" I ask.

"Not right this second." He says. "But go ahead if you want to."

"Ok." I say. I then go upstairs and change my clothes, when I am ready I go outside and start shooting around. I am making shots that normally I have a hard time making. Then out of the corner of my eye I see someone. I then turn aroud, thinking it is probably dad, and I look and see that it is Chris. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

" I thought that I would come over and hang out for a little while, if that's alright." He says.

"Yeah." I say. I then toss him the basketball. He then goes in for a layup and makes it.

"So, do you have practice tomorrow?" He asks.

"Yeah, at ten." I say.

"Well, that's better than my team, we have an eight o'clock practice." He says.

"Oh, so when your team finishes, my team will be practicing." I say.

"Yeah, pretty much." He says.

"So how did you do on exams?" I ask.

"Pretty good, but probably not as good as you did." He says. He then passes me the basketball and I make a three pointer. "See, you are even better at basketball than me."

"That isn't true." I say.

"If you say so." He says. He then gets the ball from me, and attempts to make a three pointer, and it is nothing but net.

"See, you made it too." I say.

"I know." He says. "So, do you want to go see a movie or something?"

"Not, really, I'm super tired right now, and kind of want to stay at home." I say. "But I'm sure that it would be fine, if you wanted to hang out here for a little while."

"Ok, do you want to play a one on one?" He asks.

"Sure, and please don't go easy on me." I say. "My brother's do that all the time starting out, and I think that they are stupid for doing it."

"They are just being gentlemen, but if you don't want me to go easy on you, which I was considering doing, I won't." He says.

"Thank you." I say. We then start the game, I get the ball first. I go in for a layup and I am blocked by Chris, I still go in for the layup, but he steals the ball in midair and dribbles down the court. I then steal the ball from him and go back to my side, and make a three pointer. After a while the score is tied at seventeen to seventeen.

"Alright, how about the first one to get twenty points wins?" He asks.

"Ok, that sounds like a plan to me." I say with a smile. He then goes in for a shot and misses, I catch the rebound and go in for a layup, but the ball is intercepted before it has a chance to get in. It goes back and forth like this for a while, and then finally. Chris scores. Now the score is down to seventeen to nineteen. If I can make a three pointer, I would win the game, but if Chris scores he will win. At the moment,  
>I have the ball. I then steadily dribble down the court. I then stop at the three pointer line and go in for a three pointer. My form is great and everything looks perfect. I am afraid that Chris is going to steal it, especially since he has height on his side, whereas me height only helps me out when I am playing other girls. I then see the ball go through the net, and I win.<br>"Good job." Chris says.

"Thank you, I'm sorry that I beat you." I say.

"Oh, it's fine, it was just for fun anyhow." He says. "And for the record, I didn't go easy on you."

"Good, because you would have been lying to me otherwise." I say. "And don't worry, no one has to know that I beat you."

"It's fine, you are tough competition." He says.

"That's what my brothers always tell me." I say.

"Well, maybe one day I'll you playing on TV." He says. I just laugh and say "Yeah right."

"Why not, you are great." He says.

"Because, I don't have any desire to play professionally." I say. "I don't want the media watching my every move."

"I see what you're saying." He says.

"What about you, are you going to do the NBA route?" I ask.

"I don't know, yet." He says. "My dad would want me too, but I think that I should be able to make my own decisions."

"Yeah." I say. "Well, how about we go inside, it's beginning to get cold out here."

"Ok." He says. We then walk into the house. I then see my brother's playing video games, and no sign of mom and dad. I then walk over to Zane.

"Zane, where's mom and dad?" I ask.

"They had to run a couple of errands." He says.

"Ok." I say. I then go into the kitchen and start pulling out baking supplies.

"What are you doing?" Chris asks.

"I thought that I would attempt at baking." I say.

"Well, you can't do any better than that cake, it was awesome." He says.

"Thank you." I say. "I think that I am going to bake some cookies. Do you want to help?"

"If by helping you mean being an official taste tester than yes." He says.

"I'll let you have some." I say.

"What type are you going to make?" He asks.

"Chocolate chip." I say as I scroll through my phone. "I found a recipe on line, and I wanted to try it out."

"Well, I'm definitely am going to stay here until they are ready." He says.

"Ok, well it might be a while, if I had some help it would make the time shorter." I say insinuating that I want him to help.

"Fine." He says. "What can I do to help?" I then instruct him in what I want him to do. After some time, we have one batch done and I put it into the oven and set a timer.

"Ok, so do you want to help make some more?" I ask.

"Sure." He says. "I just hope that they actually turn out alright."

"They should, we followed the recipe exactly." I say.

"True." He says. "I thought that this was going to be totally lame, and I don't know if it is because I was doing it with you, or what it was, but it is actually kind of fun."

"I know." I say. "I used to hate being in a kitchen, but now, I at least enjoy baking."

"Well, you are really good at it." He says. "And I find it ironic that you won't eat any sweet stuff that you make."

"I might try to eat one of these." I say.

"Good." He says. "You need to know if they are actually any count."

"I know, but that's what you are for." I say.

"So I'm your guinea pig?" He asks.

"Yes." I say with a laugh.

"And I'm actually alright with that." He says. We then finish up the second batch and put it into the oven, then not too much later the timer goes off for the first batch and I take them out and let them cool.  
>Chris tries to get one, and I give him a look. "What, I thought that they were done."<p>

"They are, but you have to wait for them to cool off." I say. "Otherwise they will be gooey, and fall apart."

"Ok, how long do I have to wait?" He asks.

"Just a little bit." I say. A period of time goes by, and the other batch is done. I then take it out.

"Ok, now can I try one?" He asks.

"Yes." I say. He then gets one and take a bite out of it. "Is is any count?"

"It is so good." He says. "Especially for a chocolate chip cookie. Do you want one?"

"Could I just have a bite of yours?" I ask.

"Yeah." He says. He then breaks off some of his and puts it into my mouth.

"They are pretty good." I say.

"See, now you're probably going to want a whole one." He says.

"No, I'm good." I say. "I'm going to see if my brother's want one."

"No, tell them that they are awful." He says.

"Chris, there are plenty." I say.

"I know." He says.

"And I'm sure that I will make you some more." I say.

"Ok." He says. "I'll tell them." He then walks off, and a second later, all of my brother's come back into the kitchen with Chris.

"Where are the cookies that Chris was telling us about?" Zane asks.

"Right here." I say as I put the cookies that are cooled onto a plate

. "These look really good." Caleb says. He then takes one and so does Zane and Zach.

"So what do you guys think?" I ask.

"These are so good." Zane says.

"Yeah." Caleb says. "Have you thought about baking for a living?"

"You really could do very well." Zach adds.

"But I don't want to do it as a job, then I wouldn't enjoy it." I say. "That doesn't make it any fun."

"True." Zach says. "But seriously, these are so good. Are they from scratch?"

"Yes." I say. "And Chris helped."

"Yeah, he probably just helped taste them." Caleb says.

"No, actually, I helped her make them." Chris says.

"I'm impressed." Caleb says.

"She did most of the work, I was more of the supervisor." He says.

"I can see that." Caleb says. "Besides, Jessica is a control freak." Zach says.

"I am not." I say.

"Babe, I love you, but you kind of are." Chris says. "But don't worry, I don't find it annoying."

"Ok, good." I say. "I guess that I am. I don't mean to be though."All of them just look at me. "What? I can't help it that I know how I want things done."

"Yeah." Caleb says. "And sometimes you tend to micromanage things."

"But it's alright." Chris says. "The world needs people like you otherwise the world would be one messed up place."

"True." I say. "But I am so sorry guys. I don't mean to do that."

"It's alright." Zach says. Some time goes by and then mom and dad come back home. They have some bags in there hands, and I wonder what is in them, but I decide to not be nosy, like I always am. A little time goes by, and Chris eventually goes home, and I go upstairs to my room and start wrapping some Christmas presents that I had gotten for people. After a little bit, I start on Chris' Christmas present.

I hope that he likes it, I guess that in a couple of days, I will know. I then hear a knock on my door, and Zach walks into the room. "Mom and dad said that they wanted you to come downstairs."

"Ok, do you know what for?" I ask.

"Not sure." He says. We then walk downstairs and I take a seat

"Ok, so I'm guessing that you all want to know what we called you down here for?" Dad asks. "Well, we have some news that we want to share with you all."

"So, as you all know we went to the doctor today to find out what the gender of your new sibling will be, and I wanted to know what your speculations are." Mom says.

"Girl." Zane says.

"Girl." I say.

"Boy." Caleb says.

"Girl." Zach says.

"Ok, so one of you will obviously be right." Dad says.

"We're having a boy." Mom says. Caleb looks happy that he was right.

"And a girl." Dad says.

"Wait, I'm confused." Zane says.

"They're having twins." Zach says. "Right?"

"Yes, we were just as surprised as you all are." Mom says.

"That's crazy." I say. "And I'm getting a little sister, that is so awesome!"

"We want all of you to have a say in the names of your siblings, so at some point before the baby is born, if you want to you can write down a name that you would like for your sibling to have." Dad says.

"We're not guaranteeing that the names you all come up with will be the name of your sibling, but it will be helpful." Mom says.

"Ok, can I go now?" Caleb asks.

"Yeah." Dad then walks off. I can tell that something is up, but I'm not going to confront him right now about it, I'll let him come to me first. We all then continue to talk for a while. I think that mom and dad are more excited than anyone else is, to be honest I wasn't expecting this, I thought it would probably be a boy, even though I wanted a sister so badly. It is so exciting, I can barely contain my excitement.

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><p><strong>Ok, so what did you guys think? I would love to hear. Also if you have any name suggestions, just let me know. I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter :) <strong>


	18. Chapter 18

_I know that it is super early for Christmas, but I thought that this story needed a Christmas chapter! Anyhow, I hope that you enjoy! Please R&R if you want to, that would awesome! _

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><p><em><strong>Chapter Eighteen:<strong>_

The next couple of days have flown by. I still can't help but smile, knowing that I am getting the little sister that I have always wanted. It is almost as if Christmas came three days early. Which makes this year even better for me! It makes me smile just thinking about it. I can barely contain my happiness! I even fall asleep at night with a smile on my face at night. I am then awakened from my sleep by Zane, barging into my room.

"Come on, Jess." He says. "It's Christmas." He is way too hyper considering how early it is.

"And it's five in the morning." I say as I roll over and try to go back to sleep. I hate getting up really early. Especially over break, which is the only time that I really have to be able to relax, but I'm trying not to be a grouch.

"Well, let's get a move on! Come on, don't be lazy, we have presents to open!." He says with excitement.

"No, let's wait until ten." I say. "I'm tired."

"Stop being a scrooge." He says.

"Then stop, acting like a five year old." I say. I really don't see why he is so excited about getting presents. I mean, come on, I could understand if he was little, but he's almost thirteen.

"Well, I can't help it, I'm excited about seeing what I got for Christmas." He says.

"Well, is anyone else up?" I ask sleepily. "Because if not, then you should get them up first."

"Yeah, you're the only one not up yet." He says.

"Fine." I say. I am aggravated because of his persistence. I find it quite annoying. I then get up out of my bed and go downstairs with him. Sometimes, I think that he is still a little kid. This is especially true on days like Christmas. I guess that for me, all of the excitement isn't as much.  
>I like presents-don't get me wrong- but I would rather give to other people, than to receive a bunch of things that I really do not need. When I get downstairs, I see that dad had made a fire, and I smell fresh coffee brewing.<p>

"I thought that since you had to get up early that you would want some coffee." Dad says.

"Thank you, that was so sweet of you." I say. I then walk off and pour myself a cup. When I come back we start opening up presents. I even take a few pictures of my family. We always seem to have a good time together. After a little bit we are all done and I start cleaning up wrapping paper, because some people left it all over the floor, and my OCD is kicking in. I then take my presents into my room and organize my stuff. I then go back downstairs.

"So what are the plans for today?" I ask my dad.

"Well, in a couple of hours we are going to my parents house to spend some time with them, and that is pretty much all that we are doing." He says.

"Ok." I say. "By the way thank you for the presents." I then give him a hug.

"You're welcome." He says. "And thank you for your gift."

"You're welcome." I say. "Where's mom?"

"She went back to sleep." He says.

"I'm surprised you didn't." I say.

"I have a hard time sleeping once I've been up for a while." He says.

"Me too." I say. "But apparently no one else in the house is that way."

"I guess that you're right." He says. "Do you want some more coffee?"

"Yeah, that would be awesome!" I say. He then gets up and refills my cup and his and brings it over to me."Thank you."

"No problem." He says. We then continue to talk for a little while, and then after some time I go upstairs to my room to get ready. I pull my hair into a loose ponytail and I put on a red and black striped sweater with a pair of skinny jeans and some black Toms. I then put on some eye makeup, and then put on some simple jewelry. After a little bit, we are all in the car and head over to my grandparents house, which is just a short ride. When we get there, I help my parents unload the car and we bring in some stuff. We then all mingle for a little bit. Then after a little bit my mom and I go into the kitchen and help my grandma finish up with the food.

"So, I've heard that you are dating Chris." My grandma says.

"Yeah." I say with a smile on my face.

"That's exciting." She says. "So how did it happen?"

"Well, I really don't remember." I say. "It just, I don't know, kind of happened. It's so cool to be dating my best friend."

"That is so sweet." She says.

"It really is, it almost reminds me of when Troy and I were dating." My mom says.

"I know, and you too were and still are perfect for each other, and so are Jessica and Chris." She says.

"Thanks, grandma." I say. "I just hope that you are right."

"I hope so too." She says. "Young love is so sweet." I just smile. We then continue getting things together and after a little while, everything is ready. We then all eat together as a family. It is nice to all be together. Normally, dad isn't able to be here the whole day. He seemed to always have a game or some event that he had to go to. I am so happy for us to all be together. Once we are done eating we go into the family room, and open up some presents from our grandparents. We get so much stuff, and it is way more than I really need, but I am very appreciative of it. While I am opening up my gifts there is a knock on the door. My grandfather then goes to answer it, and comes back into the room.

"I think that there's someone here to see you, Jessica." He says. I then politely walk off and go to the door. I then see Chris standing there. I walk out onto the porch.

"Hey, I wasn't expecting to see you." I say. I then give him a hug.

"Well, I knew that you were going to be here, so I thought that I would surprise you." He says.

"Well. it was a sweet surprise." I say. "Do you want to come inside."

"I don't want to interrupt your Christmas." He says.

"You're practically family." I say.

"I know, but I would rather just be with you, even if it is for a short time." He says.

"Ok." I say with a smile. He then pulls out a neatly wrapped box out of his jacket pocket. He then hands it to me. "Chris, you didn't have to do anything."

"I know, I wanted to." He says.

"Well, I have something for you too." I say. I then walk inside for a second and come back out with a neatly wrapped gift as well. "Merry Christmas."

"Jess-" He says.

"I know, I wanted to." I say. "You mean so much to me."

"You mean a lot to me as well." He says. "Now go on and open your gift."

"Ok. If you insist." I say. I then open up the gift. "Did you wrap this yourself?"

"I wish that I could say yes, but I had to get a little help." He says. "I'm not the best at wrapping."

"It's fine." I say. I then open up the box. Inside is a beautiful necklace. It is silver with a star. "This is beautiful."

"When I saw it, it made me think of you." He says. "Remember when we were little and we looked at the stars in the sky on clear summer nights?"

"Yeah." I say. "I didn't think that you remembered that."

"Well, now every time I look at the stars, I see you." He says. "You are the brightest star out in the galaxy. Everytime I see you, you light up a room. Almost like how the stars light up the sky, so that's why I got you this necklace. I know, it probably sounds cheesy, it sounded much better in my head."

"No, I think that, that's the sweetest thing that anyone has ever said to me." I say. I then give him a kiss.

"Really, you're sure that you like it?" He asks.

"Yes." I say. "Could you put it on me?"

"Sure, I would love to." He says. He then puts the necklace on for me.

"Thank you." I say. "Now, open yours."

"Ok." He says. He then starts unwrapping the gift.

"It's not nearly as sweet as your gift." I say.

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure that I will love it regardless of what it is." He says. He then finishes unwrapping it. He then opens the box and sees a watch. I had a hard time finding something for him, and I know that he went over and beyond what I did, but I tried anyhow.  
>"Jess, I like this a lot. I was just about to have to go get one of these."<p>

"Really?" I ask.

"Yeah." He says. He then puts it on.

"I'm sorry that I am not really all that romantic." I say.

"You're fine." He says. "I really do appreciate the gift."

"I'm glad." I say with a smile. "I knew that you had lost yours at one of the away games, so I thought that you could use a new one."

"And now every time I look to see what time it is, I can think of you." He says.

"True." I say. "I didn't even think of that. You are more romantic than I am."

"It's alright, some people have more of it than others." He says. "But I like that you're not overly romantic, because it makes moments like this, just a little sweeter."

"Very true." I say. "So are you sure that you don't want to come inside?"

"No, I probably need to get home." He says. "My aunt is coming over, and even though her kids are so annoying, my mom said that she wanted me to be there."

"I'm sorry." I say. "Well, maybe they won't be too bad."

"I hope not." He says.

"So, I guess I'll see you later?" I ask.

"Yeah." He says. He then walks off to his car. When he is halfway there he comes back and kisses me. When we release from the kiss, he walks off. He is still facing me though, and almost trips down the short flight of steps. I smile, and he shrugs it off like nothing even happened. I wave to him and he waves back. I then go inside once he safely gets back into his car. I smile as I walk inside the house. I feel so happy. We then continue to hang out for a while. After a few hours of watching movies, talking, and just enjoying each others company, we go back to our house. I can't help but wonder what Chris is doing right now. I just hope that his cousins aren't driving him crazy right now. I really do feel bad for him. Too bad we couldn't spend Christmas together all day long, but at least we had a brief moment together, just the two of us. I really enjoy that. He makes me feel so special. He makes me feel like a princess and he is my prince charming. He even makes my heart smile, when I think about him. I guess that you could say that I'm in love or something like that. He's the best guy in the entire world, and I'm glad that he is mine.

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><p><strong><em>Also check out the poll on my profile, if you would like to have some input on the baby names. Or if you have another suggestion, you can just PM me your ideas. I enjoy hearing from you all!<em>**


	19. Chapter 19

_Hey readers, I got done with this chapter a little earlier than I had anticipated so, I thought that I would go ahead and post it early! I hope that you all enjoy! _

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><p><strong>Chapter Nineteen:<strong>

The next few days go by super fast. I am excited knowing that I will be eighteen in just a few short days! I can't wait. I then walk downstairs to where my parents are at.

"Jess, we have a surprise for you." My mom says.

"My birthday isn't until Friday." I say.

"We know, but it's just a part of your birthday." Dad says. He then hands me an envelope. I then open it up and see a plane ticket. I then look at it a little closer and it is to Denver Colorado.

"I'm going to Denver?" I ask.

"Correction, we all are." Dad says. "We thought that we could ring in the New Year and your birthday by skiing or snowboarding."

"That sounds awesome." I say.

"Yeah, and the resort we are going to has a lot of memories for me and your father." She says. "It is where we first met."

"How romantic." I say.

"Well, we need to get leaving so that we can make our plane." He says.

"I need to pack though." I say.

"No, I already took care of it, and the bags are already in the car." Mom says.

"Ok, well I'm going to quickly grab a couple of things for the plane." I say.

"Alright, just hurry up." Dad says. I then head upstairs, and get a few things together in my bag. I then call Chris.

"Hey." He says.

"Hey, I just wanted to let you know that my family is going to Denver." I say.

"That sounds like fun." He says.

"Yeah, but the thing is we are about to leave." I say.

"That's fine, when you get back we can celebrate your birthday just the two of us." He says.

"I would like that." I say. "Too bad you can't go with us."

"It would be difficult to get a plane ticket at such late notice." He says.

"I understand." I say. "Well, I need to go, but I'll either text or call you when our plane lands."

"Alright, sounds good." He says. "Happy early birthday."

"Thank you." I say. "Bye."

"Bye." He says. I then hang up and grab my bag and close my room door. We all in then pile into the car and head to the airport. When we get there we have to wait for a little bit before we can board the plane, but it isn't a long time. Within thirty minutes of checking in and getting our lugguage weighed we are able to board the plane to take off. I'm excited to see the resort. Especially since my parents talk about it all the time, and we've been to ski resorts, but not this one. I'm super excited I think that it will be cool for my parents to be back at the place where they first met. I think that the story is so romantic, even though my brothers think that it is weird. I guess that in a way I am the sentimental one. Or it could just be the fact that I'm a girl, I don't know. After a bit, the plane lands and we get off the plane and go to find our luggage. Once we have our luggage we walk over to the parking lot and take a bus to the ski resort. When we get there, I look around at the place.  
>It is really a nice little place, and it is kind of cute. I am really excited to be able to do something different for my birthday. It will be really fun as well.<p>

"So what do you guys think?" My dad asks as we walk into the lobby.

"I think that this place is awesome!" Zach says.

"Yeah." I say. "I think that we are going to have a great time."

"When are we going to go snowboarding?" Caleb asks.

"Soon, we have to check in first." Dad says. He then walks off to get the keys to our room.

"There is also a bunch of things to do just in the lodge itself." My mom says.

"On the ride over here, I looked up the lodge and saw all the cool activities that there are to do." I say.

"They all sound awesome." Zane says.

"I'm glad that you guys are happy." Mom says.

"I'm going to go call Chris really fast to tell him that we got here safely." I say.

"Ok, but make it quick." Mom says.

"I will." I say. I then walk off a little ways so that I can have a bit of privacy. "Hey, Chris."

"Hey." He says. "We just got to Colorado." I say.

"That's awesome." He says. "I bet that you can't wait to hit the slopes."

"I'm really excited, but I know that I'm going to miss you." I say. "Especially on my birthday, I won't have my boyfriend/ best friend to ring in the New Year with."

"Well, I have a surprise for you, turn around." He says.

"Huh?" I ask.

"Just turn around." He says. I then turn around and see Chris standing there. I then give him a hug.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were coming?" I ask.

"Well, I'm not the only one that is here." He says. I then see Chris' family, along with all of my parents friends as well.

"Wow this is awesome!" I say. "How did you all keep it a secret? Especially you, Chris?"

"It was hard believe me." Chris says. "I wanted to tell you, but my mom would have killed me."

"It's great that you all were able to come." I say.

"Ok, well how about we go check into our room and then hit the slopes." My dad says.

"Ok." I say. I then go to grab my bags and Chris gets them for me. "I can take them."

"I want to." He says.

"Ok, thank you for being such a gentlemen." I say with a smile.

"It was the way I was raised." He says. We then get into the elevator and head to my room.

"So how long have you known about this trip?" I ask.

"Since your dads birthday." He says.

"I'm surprised you were able to keep a secret that long." I say.

"Well, let's just say I have a good amount of will power to keep something I knew would make you super happy." He says. "Your face was priceless when you saw me."

"I can imagine that it was." I say. My dad then opens the door of the room, and it looks really nice. I am more excited about the hitting the slopes soon, but at least the room is pretty nice. "So where are you staying?"

"My room is right across from here." He says.

"That's cool, so is everyone else staying nearby?" I ask.

"I think so, but I'm not really sure." He says.

"Well, I'm going to go change and I was thinking that we could hit the slopes." I say.

"Ok, I need to change too." He says.

"Ok, let's meet in the hallway in about five minutes." I say.

"Ok, sounds good to me." He says. He then goes off to his room and I start going through my clothes and find some clothes to put on. Once I am ready we meet up like we said we would, and then my brother's decide to join us.  
>"So which do you want to do?" I ask.<p>

"I don't know, what about you?" He asks.

"It doesn't matter." I say. "I'm better at skiing, but I would like to snowboard."

"Ok, let's snowboard then." He says. "Is that cool you guys?" He asks my brothers.

"Yeah, that sounds awesome." Caleb says.

"Well, then let's go." Chris says. We then leave the resort and head out to the slopes. We have to get our rentals, which had already been reserved and taken care of, we then go over to the lift and wait to get onto it.

"Chris, I'm just warning you I'm not very good at snowboarding." I say as we get onto the lift.

"It's alright, you will be fine, I'll help you out." He says.

"You promise?" I ask.

"Yeah, and it will be fun." He says.

"I just don't want to keep you from having fun." I say.

"Don't worry about that, whenever I'm with you, I always have the best time." He says. I then kiss him on the cheek. We then get off of the lift and start snowboarding. At first, I am terrible at it, but Chris encourages me to try again.

"It's been a long time since I've done this." I say.

"It's fine, don't worry about it." He says. "Later, if you want to we can go skiing."

"Ok, I like that idea, but this is fun too." I say. "If only I could keep from falling on my butt."

"It's fine, by the end of the time we're here, you will be a pro, or at least better than you are now." He says.

"Let's hope so." I say. "I hope that I don't get worse."

"You won't, come on let's try again." He says. Eventually I do get the hang of it, and it actually is kind of fun. I really enjoy hanging out with Chris as well. He is so much fun to be around. I really like that he took the time to help me, and he was so patient, it was super nice. He's such a gentlemen though, so it really didn't surprise me that much. After we are done, we go into the ski lodge and see my parents and their friends all hanging out around the fireplace. We then walk over to where they are and take a seat on one of the couches. I then start to shiver because I am a little bit cold from the snow. Chris then puts his arm around me and I snuggle up next to him, but not to close, since my parents are around, and that would just be awkward. Also, I don't think that my dad would appreciate it that much.

"I'm going to go get some hot chocolate, would you like some?" Chris asks.

"Sure, I would like that." I say. "But you don't have to go get it for me, I can just come with you."

"You're cold, how about you just stay here so that you can keep warm." He says.

"Alright." I say. Chris then walks off. "Jess, you and Chris are so cute together." Sharpay says.

"Thank you." I say.

"It reminds me of when I was in high school." Sharpay says.

"It was quite obvious that they were going to end up together at some point." Martha says.

"How so?" My mom asks.

"You all have been friends with each other, so it was almost inevitable that Chris and Jessica would end up together." Kelsi says.

"I guess that you are right." Mom says. "But we never pushed them together." She says as she looks at Taylor.

"That is very true, it just sort of happened." Taylor says.

"And I think it is so sweet that you both have been friends since you were in diapers, not that you really had a choice though." Sharpay says. "And who knows, maybe in a couple of years we could be attending your wedding." Chris then walks over with two cups of hot chocolate.

"Who's wedding?" He asks as he sits down beside me and hands me my hot chocolate.

"Thank you." I tell him for bringing me the hot chocolate. We both then take a sip of our drink.

"Yours." Sharpay answers in response to his question. He then almost spits out his drink. I then giggle a little bit.

"Who said that we were getting married anytime soon?" He asks.

"No one, I was just being hypothetical." She says.

"Ok, because I don't think that either one of us are ready for something like marriage anytime soon." He says.

"I agree." I say.

"Well, that's good that you both feel that way, you don't want to get married too soon, you might end up like me." Sharpay says.

"But maybe someday you will have your happy ending." I say.

"I don't really believe in happy endings anymore." She says. "At least, I don't think so."

"Well, there's always still hope." I say. "Maybe you will get another chance at love."

"I don't know." She says. "Maybe, but at least something good did come from my marriage to Peyton. I have my son, he's the world to me."

"See, at least you're finding the bright side to the situation." Martha says.

"Yeah, it's something that I have been doing for quite some time." She says. We all then talk for a little while, and eventually we all go onto our rooms and go to bed, so that we can have more fun in the morning.

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><p><strong>So what did you guys think? I would love to hear from you all. Let me know, also check out the poll 'what should Troy and Gabriella's daughter's name should be' which is located on my profile. I would like for all my readers to have the opportunity in selecting a name! Or if you have any other name ideas you can let me know. As always R&amp;R. I hope you all have a great week! <strong>


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